Interferons as mediators of psychiatric morbidity. An investigation in a trial of recombinant alpha-interferon in hepatitis-B carriers.

A significant increase in psychiatric morbidity, assessed by standard measures, was demonstrated in a group of patients receiving recombinant alpha-interferon for chronic hepatitis-B virus infection. In some cases the psychiatric symptoms were severe enough to need urgent psychiatric attention. The changes seemed most severe in patients with coexistent human immunodeficiency virus infection. The mental state changes are clinically reminiscent of those in the "post-viral" psychiatric syndromes.