[Neuropsychiatric disorders in HCV-infected people--own observations].

UNLABELLED

Neuropsychiatric symptoms are commonly associated with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and its treatment. There are no Polish studies concerned this problem in patients during combination therapy (interferon and ribavirin).

AIM

to examine the mood disorders an quality of life during the first 12 weeks of therapy.

METHODS

The following research instruments were used: the Present State Examination (PSE), The Beck Depression Inventory, The Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale, SF-36, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. ALT, AST, GGT activity, HCV viral load and genotype, histological activity index of the liver was also measured.

RESULTS

A group of 94 untreated patients (M=, K=) with hepatitis C was examined. 44 of them was examined secondly after 12 week of combination therapy. Depression disorders was observed in 4% pts before treatment and in 11% after 12 weeks therapy. In the group untreated patients there was two statistically significant correlations: between examined neuropsychiatric disorders and HCV viral load and necroinflammatory activity in the liver.

CONCLUSIONS

The mood disorders are not so common in the patients with hepatitis C and could have biological etiology. The interferon based therapy increase the frequency and intensity of them.