TG and autoimmune disease: At the start of ropegIFNα2b, 6 (33.3%) out of 18 patients who received ropegIFNα2b had autoimmune diseases or laboratory abnormalities that were not considered sufficient to contraindicate the initiation of therapy (anti-thyroglobulin auto-antibodies with normal TSH, 3 cases; anti-nuclear antibodies, titer 1:160, with no rheumatological symptoms, 2 cases; seronegative oligoarthritic disease not requiring active therapy, 1 case).