Pegylated interferon alfa-2B induced lupus in a patient with chronic hepatitis B virus infection: case report

Drug-induced lupus is defined as a lupus-like syndrome temporally related to continuous drug exposure which resolves after discontinuation of the offending drug. Newer biological agents such as interferons (IFN) and anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha therapies have been involved in the induction of lupus-like syndromes. Prompt recognition and discontinuation of the suspected drug are associated with excellent outcomes in most cases. In this article, we present the case who developed lupus during therapy with pegylated-IFN alpha-2b for chronic hepatitis B virus infection after 8 months.