A prospective, multicentre, randomized, open study assessed the safety of methotrexate (MTX), etanercept, or both, in patients with active RA and mild hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (n = 29). None of the treatments resulted in increased HCV viral load or increased levels of liver enzymes. The authors conclude that a combination of MTX and etanercept can be safely used to treat RA in patients with chronic HCV infection without risking hepatotoxicity or HCV replication.
References
Iannone, F. et al. Safety of etanercept and methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis C virus infection: a multicenter randomized clinical trial. J. Rheum. 10.3899/jrheum.130658
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Etanercept and MTX for patients with RA and HCV infection. Nat Rev Rheumatol 10, 126 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2014.13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2014.13