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Observational Study
. 2019 Dec 28;25(48):6928-6938.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v25.i48.6928.

Hepatitis C virus eradication with directly acting antivirals improves health-related quality of life and psychological symptoms

Silvia Nardelli  1 , Oliviero Riggio  1 , Davide Rosati  1 , Stefania Gioia  1 , Alessio Farcomeni  2 , Lorenzo Ridola  3
Affiliations
Observational Study

Hepatitis C virus eradication with directly acting antivirals improves health-related quality of life and psychological symptoms

Silvia Nardelli et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Background: Alterations in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and neuropsychological disorders were described in the hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients. Although several studies investigated the modifications of HRQoL after HCV eradication, no data exists on the modifications of neuropsychological symptoms.

Aim: To investigate the effect of directly acting antivirals (DAAs) treatment on HRQoL and neuropsychological symptoms.

Methods: Thirty nine patients with HCV infection underwent a neuropsychological assessment, including Zung-Self Depression-Rating-Scale, Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Y1-Y2 and the Toronto-Alexithymia Scale-20 items before and after DAAs treatment. HRQoL was detected by Short-Form-36 (SF-36).

Results: All HRQoL domains, but role limitation physical and bodily pain, significantly improved after treatment. Interestingly, after DAAs treatment, all domains of HRQoL returned similar to those of controls. Each neuropsychological test significantly improved after HCV eradication. A significant correlation was observed among each psychological test and the summary components of SF-36. At multiple linear regression analysis including each psychological test as possible covariates, Zung-Self Depression Rating Scale (Zung-SDS) score was independently and significantly related to summary components of the SF-36 in the basal state and the difference between Zung-SDS score before and after treatment was the only variable significantly and independently related to the modification of HRQoL induced by the treatment.

Conclusion: Neuropsychological symptoms strongly influenced HRQoL in HCV patients and there was a significant improvement of neuropsychological tests and HRQoL after DAAs treatment.

Keywords: Alexithymia; Depression; Directly acting antivirals; Health related quality of life; Hepatitis C virus; State and trait anxiety.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: S.N. was the winner of a competitive Gilead Fellowship Program 2017 for this project, all the other authors have nothing to disclose and no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison between Short-Form-36 domains of controls and patients before and after hepatitis C virus eradication. HCV: Hepatitis C virus; DAAs: Directly acting antivirals; MCS: Mental component summary; PCS: Physical Component Summary.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Pearson’s correlations between each neuropsychological test and mental component summary of Short-Form-36 at basal evaluation. MCS: Mental component summary.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Pearson’s correlations between the variations of Zung-Self Depression Rating Scale, Toronto-Alexithymia Scale-20, Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Y1 and Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Y2 and the variation of mental component summary before and after Hepatitis C virus eradication. TAS-20: Toronto-Alexithymia Scale-20; Zung-SDS: Zung-Self Depression Rating Scale; MCS: Mental component summary; STAI-Y1: Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Y1; STAI-Y2: Spielberg state-Trait Anxiety Inventory Y2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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