RESUMO
UNLABELLED: Background - Aims: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) can cause a series of neuropsychiatric symptoms, whereas the currently approved treatment for this disease often induces similar symptoms as well. The aim of the present study was to compare Greek CHC patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with that of healthy controls, to identify any possible relationships between HRQoL and demographic and laboratory parameters and to study the fluctuation of HRQoL during therapy and follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninty nine patients with CHC and 91 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. ALT, viral load, HCV genotype, fibrosis stage by liver biopsy and BMI, were determined at baseline. All patients completed the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire, which was self-administered, before treatment. They were treated with pegylated interferon alpha2-a or alpha-2b and ribavirin for 24 or 48 weeks and evaluated in the middle of therapy, at the end and six months after treatment cessation. SF-36 questionnaire was also completed in each evaluation. RESULTS: Patients' HRQoL was found to be below that of healthy controls in all SF-36 scales before treatment. There was a significant negative association between history of drug abuse and general health and a positive association between age and mental health. Multivariate analysis revealed that history of drug abuse seemed to play a significant role in bodily pain and general health of patients, as well as age did in vitality and mental health. The course of patients' HRQoL showed that in the middle of treatment values in all SF-36 scales were below those of baseline and they returned to pretreatment levels at the end of therapy. However, at the end of the six month follow-up period, an improvement in almost all scales compared to baseline was noted. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that a) Greek CHC patients' HRQoL was worse than that of healthy individuals and fluctuated significantly during treatment b) A history of drug abuse and age can independently affect HRQoL c) During treatment values of HRQoL are worsened possibly due to interferon-a treatment and d) In the long-term treatment results in improvement of HRQoL.
RESUMO
Many determinants of the immune response have been implied in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C. TH1 and TH2 cytokines play a prominent role in viral infections and a dysregulation of these cytokines could account for viral persistence and evolution of chronic disease. To explore a possible TH1 and TH2 cytokine dysregulation resulting in the inability to terminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, we studied TH1 [interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL)-2] and TH2 (IL-4, IL-10) mRNA expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in response to NS3 HCV antigen stimulation, in 31 untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C and 29 subjects with self-limited disease. After a 48 h culture of PBMC, total RNA isolation was performed and complementary DNA was prepared by reverse transcription. mRNA levels were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction using a standard curve formed after cloning each cytokine gene and a reference gene using recombinant DNA technology in a specific plasmid vector. In the patients group, mRNA expression of IFN-gamma, IL-2 and IL-4 but not IL-10 was detected, IFN-gamma being the predominant cytokine expressed. All four cytokines were expressed in subjects with self limited disease, however levels of IFN-gamma were lower and a significant higher expression of IL-10 compared to patients was found. There was a significant correlation between IFN-gamma mRNA expression levels and stage of fibrosis. Our findings show that in chronic hepatitis C, TH1 cytokines predominate and correlate to liver immunopathology. Furthermore, subjects with self-limited disease, maintain the ability to respond to HCV antigens for a long time after disease resolution.
