Health-related quality of life and severity of fatigue in HIV/HCV co-infected patients before, during, and after antiviral therapy with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin.

Abstract

UNLABELLED:

The aim of this study was to prospectively assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) and severity of fatigue before, during and after antiviral therapy in HIV/HCV co-infected patients.

DESIGN:

59 HIV/HCV co-infected patients receiving pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (PEGIFN+RBV) in the HIVCOPEG study were included in this substudy evaluating the secondary endpoints HRQL and severity of fatigue.

METHODS:

HRQL and severity of fatigue were assessed using SF36 and FSS, respectively. Advanced liver fibrosis was defined as METAVIR F3/F4 or liver stiffness >9.5 kPa.

RESULTS:

At baseline, advanced liver fibrosis was associated with worse physical health. Mental health was impaired in female patients and in patients with a history of intravenous drug abuse, while a history of depression was associated with higher severity of fatigue. Female gender was associated with a more pronounced relative decrease in mental health during therapy. At follow-up, 24 weeks after the end of therapy, both physical health and fatigue symptoms had improved. Virological response was associated with better physical and mental health, as well as with reduced severity of fatigue. A correlation between anemia grade and the relative impairments in physical health, mental health and fatigue was observed.

CONCLUSIONS:

Antiviral therapy with PEGIFN+RBV impairs physical and mental health and increases severity of fatigue, while virological response is associated with improvements in physical health and fatigue symptoms. The optimization of anemia management is essential for reducing the burden of impaired HRQL and fatigue in HIV/HCV co-infected patients receiving antiviral therapy with PEGIFN+RBV.

• Authors: Mattias Mandorfer, Berit A Payer, Bernhard Scheiner, Florian Breitenecker, Maximilian C Aichelburg, Katharina Grabmeier-Pfistershammer, Armin Rieger, Michael Trauner, Markus Peck-Radosavljevic, Thomas Reiberger
• Journal: Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver (Liver Int) Vol. 34 Issue 1 Pg. 69-77 (Jan 2014) ISSN: 1478-3231 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23890125 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• Interferon-alpha
• Recombinant Proteins
• Polyethylene Glycols
• Ribavirin
• peginterferon alfa-2a

Topics

• Anemia (psychology, virology)
• Antiviral Agents (therapeutic use)
• Coinfection
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Fatigue (diagnosis, psychology, virology)
• Female
• HIV Infections (complications, diagnosis, psychology)
• Hepatitis C (complications, diagnosis, drug therapy, psychology)
• Humans
• Interferon-alpha (therapeutic use)
• Liver Cirrhosis (psychology, virology)
• Male
• Mental Health
• Polyethylene Glycols (therapeutic use)
• Prospective Studies
• Quality of Life
• Recombinant Proteins (therapeutic use)
• Ribavirin (therapeutic use)
• Severity of Illness Index
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Time Factors
• Treatment Outcome