ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate the effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treatment with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs on patients' mood, sleep quality and quality of life (QoL). METHODS: Chronic HCV-infected patients receiving DAAs were evaluated prospectively. Patients were evaluated before the beginning of treatment and 12-24 weeks after finishing their treatment duration using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Beck depression inventory questionnaire and SF-36 health-related QoL questionnaires. RESULTS: A total of 120 patients with a mean age of 41.03 ± 7.68 years were evaluated (68.3% males). The mean follow-up duration was 141.79 ± 27.88 days after finishing the treatment. Significant improvement in the scores of sleep quality (5.13 ± 1.5 vs. 3.43 ± 1.35), mood (12.77 ± 4.02 vs. 9.27 ± 3.14) and QoL (77.49 ± 5.15 vs. 83.95 ± 3.39) post treatment compared with pretreatment were observed (p < 0.05). Changes in patients' sleep and mood were not related to their QoL change (p > 0.05). DISCUSSION: DAAs for the treatment of HCV have a significant effect on improving their sleep, mood and QoL. The changes in sleep quality, mood and QoL of patients were independent and were not affected by each other.
Subject(s)
Affect/drug effects , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy , Quality of Life/psychology , Sleep/drug effects , Adult , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Female , Hepatitis C, Chronic/psychology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Reported Outcome Measures , Prospective Studies , Surveys and Questionnaires , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
A biophysical model has been applied to study the kinetics of chromosome exchange formation in human cells. Chromosomal exchange induction (for example dicentrics) by ionising radiation was modelled by means of the Monte Carlo technique. This involved energy deposition by electrons, production of chromosomal breaks (assumed to be DNA double-strand breaks) and their repair and exchange. Exchanges were assumed to result from pairwise interaction between two DNA breaks in a distance-dependent manner. The rate at which exchanges are formed was found to depend upon how the exchange to no-exchange probability ratio varied with time. The assumption that this ratio did not alter with time produced a time constant for the formation of exchanges which was exactly half that of the repair time constant. Longer time constants could not be accommodated unless the probability ratio for exchange increases with time. Different time constants for inter- and intratrack exchanges could be achieved on the basis of DNA double-strand break separation.
