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Psychiatric Disorders Do Not Reduce Effectiveness of Hepatitis C Treatment: Presented at AASLD

By Maria Bishop

BOSTON, MA -- November 8, 2007 -- Although comorbid psychiatric disorders at initiation of treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) are a risk factor for mental adverse events, they do not negatively affect the duration of pegylated interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin treatment, adherence to treatment, or sustained viral response, researchers reported here at the 58th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD).

In clinical practice, patients infected with hepatitis C virus frequently have comorbid psychiatric disorders and are often drug users, noted Jean Philippe Lang, MD, Head of the Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Erstein, Erstein, Cedex, France.

In a "real life" study called the CHEOBS study, factors related to compliance with the combination treatment of peginterferon alfa-2b (1.5 ug/kg/week) and ribavirin (800 to 1200 mg/day) were analysed in 1,972 HCV patients. The CHEOBS study is a prospective, observational study comprising 184 medical centres in France specialising in the management of hepatitis C.

Patient- and investigator-reported questionnaires were completed every 3 months; adherence was assessed every 3 months, as well.

Patients were divided into two groups: those not presenting with psychiatric disorders (NPPD) (n = 1,528) and those presenting with psychiatric disorders (PPD) (n = 444). A significantly greater proportion of patients in the PPD group had a history of injection or intranasal drug abuse, HCV genotype 3 infection, and chronic disease.

The rates of responders, nonresponders, and relapsers were similar between the PPD and NPPD groups, as was the proportion of adherent patients.

While the research team concluded the psychiatric disorders put HCV patients at risk for mental adverse events, they noted that psychiatric disorders did not reduce the effectiveness of hepatitis C Treatment.

Dr. Lang noted that the psychological effects of treatment with pegylated interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin in fact negatively affected the quality of life of patients not presenting with psychiatric disorders (NPPD) more than it did those presenting with psychiatric disorders (PPD).

This trial was supported by funding from Schering-Plough.


[Presentation title: Assessment of the Impact of Psychiatric Disorders on Safety, Compliance, and Sustained Virological Response After Hepatitis C Treatment (CHEOBS). Abstract 906]

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