ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the relationship between quality of life and liver function in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B.Methods Psychological condition was investigated in 536 patients of chronic viral hepatitis B and 200 normal volunteers with self-administered 36-item short-form health survey questionnaire.These patients were divided into four groups based on their liver fuction normal,mild, moderate and severe damage,based on their serum activity of alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and serum level of bilirubin at the time of investigation.The patients with abnormal liver function at the beginning of the study would be retested when liver function recovered to normal level.Before and after comparison was made for those with abnormal liver function by Wilcoxon signed rank test.Trend test for the changes in liver function was performed by Jonckheere-Terpstra test.Results There was significant difference in physical functioning,role limitation due to physical health,bodily pain,general health perception,vitality,social functioning,role limitation due to emotional problems and mental health between patient with chronic viral hepatitis B and healthy volunteers.It was positively correlated with the degree of liver function damage. Scores of general health perception,role limitation due to physical health,role limitation due to emotional problems and vitality were relatively low in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B.Conclusions Quality of life in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B was far worse than that in healthy normal people,which related with their liver function.The more damage to liver function,the worse quality of life.Additional psychological treatment will be helpful for the patients with chronic viral hepatitis B other than drug treatment.