IFNA17 and autoimmune disease: However, as for standard IFN-α, the major limitations for peg-INF-α therapy are both the strong contraindication in patients with associated autoimmune diseases and in those with major psychiatric syndromes and the well-known adverse reactions, including flu-like symptoms, myalgias, arthralgias, exacerbation of psychiatric illness, hematologic toxicity and serum aminotransferase values, suggesting an acute exacerbation of liver cell necrosis [95].