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Previous Volume 340:1370 April 29, 1999 Number 17 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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To the Editor: The antiviral, immunomodulatory, and antiproliferative properties of interferon alfa give this cytokine potential therapeutic effects in chronic viral infections and cancers.¹ A major limitation of interferon alfa therapy is its serious side effects, which include fever, headache, myalgias, sleep disturbances, fatigue, anorexia, and in some cases, mood disorders.^1,2,3,4 Usually observed during late states of treatment, depressive symptoms are detrimental to the patient's quality of life and may justify adjustment or interruption of the treatment.³ Identifying patients at risk for these mood disturbances early in the treatment would permit the adoption of corrective measures.

We investigated whether the . . . [Full Text of this Article]

References

Related Letters:

More on the Depressive Effects of Interferon Alfa
Rosenstein D. L., Lerner D., Cai J., Capuron L., Ravaud A.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1999; 341:849-850, Sep 9, 1999. Correspondence

Interferon Alfa–Induced Adverse Effects in Patients with a Psychiatric Diagnosis
Pariante C. M., Landau S., Carpiniello B., the Cagliari Group
Extract | Full Text | PDF  
N Engl J Med 2002; 347:148-149, Jul 11, 2002. Correspondence

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