Minimal clinically important differences in health-related quality of life after treatment with direct-acting antivirals for chronic hepatitis C: ANRS CO22 HEPATHER cohort (PROQOL-HCV).

PURPOSE: Patient Reported Outcomes Quality of Life survey for HCV (PROQOL-HCV) is a specific tool developed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving direct-acting antivirals (DAA). Thresholds for clinically meaningful changes in PROQOL-HCV scores should be documented to improve the tool's use in clinical practice. This study aimed to estimate the minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) in PROQOL-HCV scores before and after HCV cure by DAA among participants in the prospective cohort ANRS-CO22 HEPATHER. METHODS: Data from 460 chronic HCV patients were collected at DAA initiation (baseline) and 24 weeks after treatment end. MCIDs were estimated for the six HRQoL dimensions (Physical Health (PH), Emotional Health (EH), Future Uncertainty (FU), Intimate Relationships (IR), Social Health (SH), and Cognitive Functioning (CF)) using two approaches: anchor-based and score distribution-based. Each MCID was estimated for improvement/deterioration both globally and separately for patients with a baseline PRQoL-HCV score ≤ 50 (group1) and patients with a baseline PRQoL-HCV score > 50 (group2). RESULTS: The pooled MCIDs for improvement/deterioration globally, in group1, and in group2, respectively, were as follows: 8.8/- 7.6, 9.7/- 9.5, and 6.0/- 6.9 for PH; 7.1/- 4.6, 7.7/- 9.6, and 6.6/- 6.7 for EH; 6.7/- 6.7, 8.2/- 8.2, and 6.0/- 6.0 for FU; 7.0/- 7.0, 5.4/- 5.4, and 6.2/- 6.2 for IR; 7.7/- 7.7, 8.6/- 8.6, and 6.5/- 6.5 for SH; 7.3/- 5.6, 9.1/- 8.0, and 6.5/- 6.3 for CF. CONCLUSIONS: The overall MCID for the PROQOL-HCV scores ranged from 6.7 to 8.8 for improvement and from - 7.7 to - 4.6 for deterioration. The effect of DAA on PROQOL-HCV scores seemed particularly beneficial for patients with lower baseline scores. This subgroup could be motivated to take DAA if they are informed of the benefits for their HRQoL.

Itemization difference of patient-reported outcome in patients with chronic liver disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The itemization difference of patient-reported outcome (PRO) in hepatitis patients with different etiologies remains elusive in Asia. We aimed to assess the characteristics and the difference of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), chronic hepatitis C (CHC), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. METHODS: We conducted the study in an outpatient setting. The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was completed by the patients upon the initial diagnosis and recruitment for a long-term follow-up purpose. The PRO results were also assessed by disease severity. RESULTS: There were 244 patients (198 males) of CHB, 54 patients (29 males) of CHC, and 129 patients (85 males) of NAFLD, respectively. CHC patient had the mean score of 67.1 ± 23.3 in physical component summary (PCS) of the SF-36 health survey, which was significantly lower than CHB patients (76.4 ± 19.5), and NAFLD patients (77.5 ± 13.7), respectively (p = 0.001). The significantly lower performance of PCS in CHC patients was mainly attributed to the lower performance in physical functioning and bodily pain components. Higher fibrosis 4 index scores were significantly associated with lower PCS scores in all patient groups. There was no significant difference of mean mental component summary (MCS) between groups. However, NAFLD patients had significantly lower mental health scores than other groups (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The significant difference of HRQoL exists in hepatitis patients with different etiologies. Disease severity leads to a lower PCS performance.

"If I Get Cured, My Whole Quality of Life Will Change": Patients' Anticipated and Actualized Benefits Following Cure from Chronic Hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: Patients' motivations for undergoing direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for chronic hepatitis C may include anticipation of treatment benefits not well described in the literature. AIMS: Evaluate patients' anticipated and actualized improvements in several domains of functioning before and after viral cure. METHODS: Pre-post-study utilizing in-depth interviews with 28 patients prior to, and several months after, DAA therapy. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed by two qualitative experts. RESULTS: Patients had a median age of 54 years, 43% were male, 57% white, 25% had cirrhosis, and 71% were treated with sofosbuvir/ledipasvir. Pre-treatment, patients hoped for improvements in several domains including psychological, emotional, physical, social, and occupational functioning. After viral cure, increased energy and less fear of transmission were pathways to better quality of life. Psychological and emotional improvements positively affected physical, social, and occupational functioning. Social improvements were due to better mood and motivation, fewer symptoms, and reduced fear of stigma and transmission. Occupational benefits were linked to increased stamina, self-confidence, and less pain, anxiety, and stigma. Reduced fear of stigma had a pervasive impact on all life improvements after cure. Patient characteristics such as the presence of cirrhosis or psychiatric issues influence treatment motivations. Qualitative data correspond with change in pre-post-survey scores. CONCLUSIONS: Tremendous hope is placed on the ability of DAA therapy to bring about substantial improvements in life functioning after viral cure. Highly interconnected effects on quality of life worked synergistically through improved physical and psychological well-being. Stakeholders should appreciate the multi-dimensional benefits that viral eradication bestows upon individuals and society.

Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Persons Who Inject Drugs in the Middle East and North Africa: Intervention Strategies.

There is a high incidence and prevalence of hepatitis C viral infection in persons with or without substance use disorders (SUDs) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, but only a small number receive comprehensive care. Highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medications are available at substantially lower costs; however, complete elimination of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) can only be achieved if integrated care strategies target those at highest risk for HCV infection and transmission and improve access to care. Due to the high prevalence of SUD in the MENA region, strategies to eliminate HCV must focus on integrated healthcare across multiple subspecialties, including addiction medicine, psychiatry, infectious diseases, hepatology, and social work. In this invited manuscript, we review the epidemiology of HCV in the MENA region and highlight intervention strategies to attain the WHO's goal of HCV eradication by 2030.

Retrospective Evaluation of Hepatitis C Awareness in Turkey Through Two Decades.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is the only viral infection that can be treated with oral antiviral agents. However, CHC awareness is a major barrier to the World Health Organization's target of eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2030. Here, CHC awareness trends were analyzed in Hacettepe University Hospital, Turkey, between January 2000 and December 2017. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Central laboratory data were retrospectively analyzed for HCV test results (anti-HCV, HCV RNA, HCV genotype). After combining 548,141 anti-HCV test results, 395,103 cases were analyzed. The following two parameters were defined for CHC awareness: (1) the presence of HCV RNA results for anti-HCV positives and (2) the presence of a genotype result for HCV RNA positives. RESULTS: Anti-HCV positives were older than negatives (mean age-years ± SD, 59.4 ± 19.0 vs. 44.0 ± 18.9), and the positivity rate was higher in women than in men (1.4% vs. 1.0%). Anti-HCV positivity decreased from 3.1% to 0.6% from 2000 to 2015 and subsequently stabilized. The overall percentage of RNA testing among anti-HCV positives was 53.1% (range, 20%-70%), which stabilized at approximately 50% after 2010. The genotyping rate for RNA positives varied between 40% and 70%. The main genotype identified was genotype 1 (85.7%). CONCLUSION: In an ideal CHC awareness state, all anti-HCV positives should undergo RNA testing, and genotyping should be performed when RNA tests are positive. However, even in our referral center, the combined rate of RNA and genotype testing was only approximately 50% during the last 10 years.

Social vulnerability in persons with chronic hepatitis C virus infection is associated with a higher risk of prescription opioid use.

Prescription opioid use (POU) is often a precursor to opioid use disorder (OUD) and subsequent consequences. Persons with chronic hepatitis C virus infection (CHC) may be at a higher risk of POU due to a higher comorbidity burden and social vulnerability factors. We sought to determine the burden of POU and associated risk factors among persons with CHC in the context of social vulnerability. We identified CHC persons and propensity-score matched HCV- controls in the electronically retrieved Cohort of HCV-Infected Veterans and determined the frequency of acute, episodic long-term and chronic long-term POU and the prevalence of social vulnerability factors among persons with POU. We used logistic regression analysis to determine factors associated with POU. Among 160,856 CHC and 160,856 propensity-score matched HCV-controls, acute POU was recorded in 38.4% and 38.0% (P = 0.01) respectively. Episodic long-term POU was recorded in 3.9% in each group (P = 0.5), while chronic long-term POU was recorded in 28.4% and 19.2% (P < 0.0001). CHC was associated with a higher risk of chronic long-term POU (OR 1.66, 95%CI 1.63, 1.69), but not with acute or episodic long-term POU. Black race, female sex and homelessness were associated with a higher risk of chronic long-term POU. Presence of ≥ 1 factor was associated with a higher risk of all POU patterns. Persons with CHC have more social vulnerability factors and a higher risk of chronic long-term POU. Presence of ≥ 1 social vulnerability factor is associated with a higher risk of POU. Downstream consequences of POU need further study.

Depression Disorders in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis C was until recently treated with a combined therapy of interferon and ribavirin. More recently, direct antiviral agents (DAA), are being introduced. They are more tolerable and have fewer side effects, with better treatment results. In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina we have started using this new therapy, with a limited financial opportunity. Large numbers of patients with chronic hepatitis C are former or current addicts, some of them treat their addiction with methadone or buprenorphine. These patients often formerly have a depression disorder and during treatment of chronic hepatitis need supervision of a psychiatrist, due to one of the side effects of interferon being deterioration of depression. Using this research we wanted to valorize the depression disorder of our patients, to indicate the effects of interferon on depression deterioration and the need for a new therapy protocol. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Examinees were patients with chronic hepatitis C on interferon therapy, which we divided into three groups: those who were never addicts, then the group of patients who were earlier addicts and have a long abstinence and patients who treat their addiction with a replacement therapy of methadone or buprenorphine. All patients completed Beck's test, which determines the level of depression, before and after interferon therapy. RESULTS: Patients who used to be addicts or were on replacement therapy had mild or moderate depression before interferon treatment in a large number. After interferon therapy, there was a statistically substantial increase of patients with serious depression, which was not noted before the therapy. CONCLUSION: Interferon therapy deteriorates depression in patients with chronic hepatitis C and there should be a strive for new therapies with less side effects in treatment. No patients stopped therapy. That is a result of community work and supervision over patients from both hepatologists and psychiatrists.

Challenges of transferring rural adults with chronic HCV infection for further HCV RNA confirmation and free DAAs treatment: a success story of the interdisciplinary collaboration approach.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is a concern in many countries, is the leading cause of liver cancer around the world. Since Taiwan launched its national health insurance system in 1995, it has managed to extend health coverage to 99% of the Taiwanese population, providing free but limited antiviral treatment each year since 2017. However, many people in rural areas are unaware that they have chronic HCV; nor do they realize that new drugs with high cure rates could drastically reduce their health burden. The aim of this study is to explore the implementation facilitators of and barriers to inviting potentially infected patients in rural areas to be transferred for HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) confirmation and new drug treatment. METHODS: A descriptive and prospective study design with an interdisciplinary collaboration approach was implemented. After five elements of referral were developed, telephone counseling was conducted between August 2018 and May 2019 in Yunlin, Taiwan. The elements of referral developed by the research team were: (1) forming and coordinating physicians' schedules, (2) recruiting and training volunteers, (3) training the nursing staff, (4) raising funds or resources, and (5) connecting with village leaders. Thereafter, we collaborated with two district health centers, a private local hospital, and health clinics. Based on the medical records provided by these agencies, community adults that were HCV antibody (anti-HCV) positive were invited to join the program. RESULTS: Of the 1795 adults who were serum anti-HCV positive, 1149 (64%) accepted transfer to a qualified hospital; of these, 623 (54.2%) had an HCV infection. 552 (88.6%) of those infected started receiving direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) treatment. The top four barriers to accepting transfer were: (1) they perceived themselves to be healthy (n = 98, 32.3%); (2) mistrust of treatment/healthcare (n = 60, 20.2%); (3) limited transportation to the hospital (n = 52, 17.5%); and (4) work conflict (n = 30, 10.1%). CONCLUSION: An interdisciplinary collaboration approach significantly contributed to the invitation of CHC patients, as well as their acceptance of HCV RNA confirmation and free DAAs treatment. Using anti-HCV data from previous medical records for case-finding and collaborating with a hospital and health clinics proved to be an efficient strategy.

Direct antivirals and cognitive impairment in hepatitis C: a clinical-neurophysiologic study.

Cognition was assessed in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients, who did not meet the criteria for a minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Their liver function was compensated. We then disentangled potential cognitive changes associated with a sustained virologic response at 12 weeks (SVR-12), following treatment with direct antiviral agents (DAAs). We studied 23 selected HCV patients with a battery of standard neuropsychological tests, and with recordings of the P300 wave, a cerebral potential of "cognitive" significance. There was a baseline evaluation (T0) and a second one 6 months later (T1). We had 2 control groups of comparable age and sex, i.e., 15 patients suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and 15 healthy subjects. At T0, we detected a significant (p < 0.05) cognitive impairment in the HCV group, which involved episodic and working memory, attention, visuospatial and verbal abilities, executive functions, and logic reasoning. The P300 latency was significantly (p < 0.05) delayed in the group. At T1, we observed some significant (p < 0.05) HCV recovery in given test domains, e.g., memory, executive functions, and reasoning. Accordingly, the P300 latency shortened significantly (p < 0.05). HCV patients exhibited subtle cognitive defects, somehow independent of their liver condition, possibly linked to direct or indirect brain involvement by the virus. These defects partly recovered following the SVR-12, as achieved through DAAs. The P300 wave was a valid neurophysiologic counterpart of these changes. DAAs can have a role in the early preservation of cognition in HCVs.

Pretreatment Assessment of Psychosocial Readiness Is Not Associated with Improved Treatment Outcomes in a Safety-Net HCV Treatment Clinic.

OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is highly curable with antiviral therapy, and traditionally, treatment adherence has been critical for treatment success. We sought to determine whether assessing HCV treatment readiness with a structured treatment readiness tool was associated with increased rates of adherence and cure among patients at a safety-net HCV clinic. METHODS: We administered the Psychosocial Readiness Evaluation and Preparation for HCV Treatment (PREP-C) tool to 50 patients and compared them with 50 patients who received the usual care. The outcome measures included achievement of treatment milestones (eg, adherence to treatment, clinic visit attendance) and sustained virologic response (cure). RESULTS: We found no association between receiving the PREP-C assessment and outcomes, including referral to or starting HCV treatment, adherence to treatment, and HCV cure. CONCLUSIONS: We found that receiving the PREP-C assessment did not improve treatment outcomes, suggesting that targeted pretreatment assessment is unnecessary even in a medically and psychosocially complex population.

Determinants of stigma among patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

Stigma around hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important and understudied barrier to HCV treatment and elimination. The determinants of HCV-related stigma, including the impacts of stage of HCV treatment (ie spontaneously cleared; diagnosed, untreated; previously treated, not cured; currently being treated; and treated, cured) and coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), remain unknown. To address these gaps, we conducted a cross-sectional study among patients with a history of HCV infection (n = 270) at outpatient clinics in Philadelphia from July 2018 to May 2019. We evaluated stigma using the validated HCV Stigma Scale, adapted from the Berger HIV Stigma Scale. Associations among HCV-related stigma and hypothesized demographic, behavioural, and clinical risk factors were evaluated by multivariable linear regression. Most participants (95.5%) experienced HCV-related stigma. Mean stigma scores did not differ significantly between HCV-monoinfected and HIV/HCV-coinfected participants (P = .574). However, we observed significant interactions between HIV status and multiple determinants; therefore, we stratified analyses by HIV status. Among HIV/HCV-coinfected participants, previous HCV treatment without cure, female gender, Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity and some college education were significantly associated with higher HCV-stigma scores. An annual income of $10 000-$40 000 was associated with significantly lower stigma scores. No significant associations were observed among HCV-monoinfected participants. We found that most participants experienced stigma associated with HCV diagnosis. While stigma scores were similar between HCV-monoinfected and HIV/HCV-coinfected participants, the determinants associated with HCV stigma differed by HIV status. Understanding how experiences of stigma differ between HCV-monoinfected and HIV/HCV-coinfected patients may aid in the development of targeted interventions to address the HCV epidemic.

'I'm over the moon!': patient-perceived outcomes of hepatitis C treatment.

Understanding patient-perceived outcomes is crucial for assessing the effectiveness and acceptability of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. This study aimed to explore patient-perceived outcomes of receiving direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). This study was a part of a mixed-methods case study of the Prince Charles Hospital program for improving access to HCV treatment in community settings. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with nine patients who were in different stages of their treatment for HCV. The participants were recruited using purposive sampling. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Patients emphasised 'having more energy' when reporting improvements in their physical health following treatment. They also reported a newly developed sense of freedom and hope. Improved physical and mental health empowered them to start a healthy lifestyle and to practise self-protection from the risk of re-infection. Patients highlighted their desire to help other patients to receive treatment, which was connected to their experience of the services that they received and their perceived health outcomes. Patients expect and experience various outcomes that are related to the physical, psychological and social aspects of living with, and being cured of HCV. Emphasis on the short-term outcomes of receiving HCV treatment may improve HCV treatment uptake and adherence rates.

Patient-reported outcomes of sleep, mood and quality of life after treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection using direct-acting antiviral agents.

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.

Impact of Interferon-Based Treatment on Quality of Life and Work-Related Productivity of Korean Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C.

Background/Aims: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections put patients at risk of serious liver disease and adversely affects patient quality of life (QoL). MOSAIC (International Multicenter Prospective Observational Study to Evaluate the Epidemiology, Humanistic and Economic Outcomes of Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C Virus) was a prospective, non-interventional, international, multicenter study that aimed to describe the epidemiology of the infection, the impact of the infection on health-related QoL (HRQoL) and daily activities, and healthcare resource use related to HCV and treatment. Here, we present the results on HRQoL and daily activity impairment in consecutively enrolled South Korean patients treated with interferon (IFN)-containing regimens prospectively followed for up to 48 weeks. Methods: General HRQoL, HCV-specific HRQoL, perceived health state, and work/general activity impairments were measured using the EuroQoL 5-dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L), HCV patient-reported outcomes (HCV-PRO), EQ-5D Visual Analog Scale, and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaires, respectively. Results: Thirty-three of the 100 enrolled patients initiated IFN-based treatment, with an intended duration of 24 weeks for 20 patients and 48 weeks for 12 patients; this information was missing for one patient. Fourteen patients (42.4%) prematurely withdrew. After treatment initiation, IFN-treated patients showed a trend towards deterioration of both general (baseline: 0.87±0.103, week 4: 0.77±0.153) and HCV-specific (baseline: 76.2±19.5, week 4: 68.2±22.3) HRQoL. The scores recovered somewhat towards the end of treatment (EOT) (0.84±0.146 for EQ-5D-5L and 70.8±21.9 for HCV-PRO). The perceived health state and work/general activity impairment displayed similar temporal patterns. Conclusions: Initiating IFN-based treatment prompted some deterioration in general and HCV-related HRQoL, accompanied by impaired daily activities and most work productivity measures; however, the HRQoL and productivity scores improved towards the EOT. HRQoL impairment upon treatment initiation likely contributed to treatment discontinuation.

Outcomes of Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment of Psychiatric Patients with Comorbid Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

BACKGROUND: The highest burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is seen in patients with psychiatric disorders who have been excluded from traditional treatments with Interferon due to treatment-emergent neuropsychiatric adverse effects. The goal of this study is to determine the tolerability, treatment retention, and efficacy of direct-acting antivirals with psychiatric disorders and comorbid substance use disorders in real-life settings. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort observational study of HCV patients treated with direct-acting antivirals between January 2016 and December 2018. Patients were stratified and sub-stratified based on their psychiatric diagnosis and substance use. The primary assessment was the sustained virologic response at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12). RESULTS: Among the 291 patients analyzed, patients with psychiatric diagnosis and non-psychiatric patients made up 51.2% (n = 149) and 48.8% (n = 142) respectively. Majority of the patients included in the study were African-Americans (68.7%, n = 200). Overall, 95.3% (142/149) and 94.4% (134/142) of psychiatric and non-psychiatric patients, respectively, achieved SVR12 and treatment response was similar between the groups (p = 0.72). Among psychiatric patients, only the prior treatment status was identified as a predictor of treatment response (OR 0.153, 95% CI 0.03-0.79; p = 0.05). No statistical difference was observed among the patients with SVR12 based on their primary psychiatric diagnoses or by comorbid substance abuse. CONCLUSION: The results of our study show that direct-acting antiviral treatments are well tolerated in psychiatric patients, and an overwhelming majority of patients achieved SVR12. Our study highlights the need to integrate HCV screening with treatment linkage in psychiatry and primary care practice.

Nurse practitioner interventions for smokers with chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: Smoking is a grossly overlooked risk factor for people with chronic hepatitis C with regard to disease progression. It is unclear whether current smoking cessation interventions are effective for this population. PURPOSE: The purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of a telephone counseling and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) intervention for smokers with chronic hepatitis C to quit or reduce rates of smoking. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with participants randomized and stratified according to heaviness of smoking. Ninety-two eligible adults who smoked cigarettes and attended hepatology outpatient clinics were recruited. The intervention included NRT and telephone counseling compared with telephone counseling alone. Data collection occurred from December 2010 to November 2011. Data were collected at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks to assess smoking cessation. Change scores were analyzed using analysis of variance to examine the differences between smoking interventions. RESULTS: At 6 weeks, both control and intervention groups had quit or reduced the number of cigarettes smoked daily. However, over 12 weeks, the intervention group showed sustained quitting or reduced smoking, with 5.8 (confidence interval [CI]: 2.4, 9.3) fewer cigarettes smoked per day from baseline. The control group maintained an average reduction of 1.6 (CI: -1.9, 5.2) fewer cigarettes per day. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nicotine replacement therapy and individualized telephone counseling interventions increase the prospects of smoking cessation. Interventions such as these, introduced at routine clinic appointments in the outpatients' setting, by a nurse practitioner (hepatology) showed clinically important results for smoking cessation in this population.

Comparative study of impulsiveness and risk behaviors among infected individuals with hepatitis C virus and human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infections have chronic courses. HCV is primarily transmitted via the hematogenous route, whereas HTLV-1 is primarily transmitted sexually, although it can also be transmitted by blood. Individuals chronically infected with either HTLV-1 or HCV can differ in terms of behavioral characteristics and personality traits. This study compared the occurrence of risk behaviors and impulsivity aspects between HCV and HTLV-1 carriers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observational, comparative and cross-sectional study that involved a sample of outpatients who had HCV or HLTV-1, by way of a sociodemographic and behavioral questionnaire and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale - BIS-11. 143 individuals with HCV and 113 individuals with HTLV-1 were evaluated. RESULTS: There was a difference with regards to gender among patients, with mostly males affected in the HCV group. Risk behaviors commonly mediated by impulsiveness were significantly more frequent in the HCV group. Similarly, overall impulsiveness and domain nonplanning were higher in the HCV group. Multivariate analysis showed that increased age, male gender, higher nonplanning scores and HCV infection were independent factors for the occurrence of risk behaviors. Both groups presented high rates of other sexually transmitted diseases and a low rate of condom use in sexual relations. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the higher rate of risk behaviors and the levels of impulsiveness commonly observed in patients with HCV, along with comparisons to patients with HTLV-1.

[QOL Assessment in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Receiving Ledipasvir/ Sofosbuvir or Simeprevir/Peginterferon/Ribavirin in Clinical Practice].

Recently, a clinical study using a Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) showed that ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF)-treated patients' QOL was more favorable than that of IFN/ribavirin (RBV)-treated patients. However, no study has reported QOL assessment in clinical practice. In this study, we compared the QOL between patients treated with LDV/SOF and those treated with simeprevir (SMV)/peginterferon (Peg-IFN)/RBV to provide QOL information in clinical practice. The subjects were 169 patients with type I chronic hepatitis C or compensated cirrhosis C (Child-Pugh Grade A) who were treated with SMV/Peg-IFN/RBV or LDV/SOF in Hitachi General Hospital. The QOL was assessed ≥2 weeks after the start of administration using the Japanese version of the CLDQ (Kida et al., 2008 version). The total CLDQ score in the LDV/SOF group was significantly higher than in the SMV/Peg-IFN/RBV group (6.59 vs. 6.38, respectively, p=0.007). In particular, the scores for 4 domains (abdominal symptoms, systemic symptoms, activity, and emotional function) in the former were significantly higher than in the latter (p<0.05). Furthermore, the rates of patients scoring 7 (no symptom) on 8 items in the former were significantly higher than in the latter (p<0.05). In clinical practice, LDV/SOF-treated patients' QOL was more favorable than that of those receiving conventional treatment with IFN and RBV. This study may make it possible for health care professionals to provide clinical QOL information on LDV/SOF therapy to patients. Furthermore, QOL information may promote decision-making for treatment, leading to effective treatment.

HCV and HBV prevalence based on home blood self-sampling and screening history in the general population in 2016: contribution to the new French screening strategy.

BACKGROUND: The advent of effective direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), has prompted an assessment of the French Hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening strategy, which historically targeted high-risk groups. One of the options put forward is the implementation of combined (i.e., simultaneous) HCV, Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HIV screening for all adults at least once during their lifetime ("universal combined screening"). However, recent national survey-based data are lacking to guide decision-making regarding which new strategy to implement. Accordingly, we aimed to provide updated data for both chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and B (CHB) prevalence and for HCV and HBV screening history, using data from the BaroTest and 2016 Health Barometer (2016-HB) studies, respectively. METHODS: 2016-HB was a national cross-sectional phone based health survey conducted in 2016 among 20,032 randomly selected individuals from the general population in mainland France. BaroTest was a virological sub-study nested in 2016-HB. Data collected for BaroTest were based on home blood self-sampling on dried blood spots (DBS). RESULTS: From 6945 analyzed DBS, chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and B (CHB) prevalence was estimated at 0.30% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.13-0.70) and 0.30% (95% CI: 0.13-0.70), respectively. The proportion of individuals aware of their status was estimated at 80.6% (95% CI: 44.2-95.6) for CHC and 17.5% (95% CI: 4.9-46.4) for CHB. Universal combined screening would involve testing between 32.6 and 85.3% of 15-75 year olds according to whether we consider only individuals not previously tested for any of the three viruses, or also those already tested for one or two of the viruses. CONCLUSIONS: Our data are essential to guide decision-making regarding which new HCV screening recommendation to implement in France. They also highlight that efforts are still needed to achieve the WHO's targets for eliminating these diseases. Home blood self-sampling may prove to be a useful tool for screening and epidemiological studies.

Evaluation of depression, anxiety and quality of life in hepatitis C patients who treated with direct acting antiviral agents.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is known to impair the quality of life (QoL). Increased levels of anxiety and depression have been found in HCV infection with a prevalence of 28% and 33%, respectively. Our aim was to investigate depression, anxiety, and QoL of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients before and after treatment with a direct-acting antiviral agent (DAAA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, enrolled CHC patients who had undergone DAAA treatment in our out-patient clinic. We administered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) questionnaire to measure the severity of the anxiety and depression symptoms and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire to measure the QoL at the beginning and at the end of the treatment. RESULTS: Pretreatment anxiety and depression scores showed a statistically significant difference from the post treatment scores (p=0.000 and p=0.029 respectively). When we compared the SF-36 subitems before and after the treatment, a statistical significance was found in physical functioning (p=0.026), physical role limitation (p=0.009), bodily pain (p=0.011), general health (p=0.017), social functioning (p=0.006), and emotional role limitation (p=0.007). Also, an improvement was seen in the vitality (p=0.488) and mental health (p=0.714), which was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Depression got minimally worse in the male group despite an improvement in CHC. Anxiety scores were improved with treatment in the cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic groups significantly. A decrease in anticipatory anxiety may be related to the high treatment success with DAAA. Nearly all the subitems of the QoL scores were improved after treatment and these were more common in the female group. Elimination of HCV may itself decrease the number of patients who need psychiatric treatment.