Quality of life, functional status, and depression in male liver transplant recipients with recurrent viral hepatitis C

Background The quality of life, psychologic sequelae, and functional status of liver transplant recipients with recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) hepa titis have not been well defined. Methods, Perceived quality of life, psychologic distress, depression, adapt ive coping, and functional status were prospectively assessed in 59 liver t ransplant recipients at baseline (before transplantation) and 6 and 12 mont hs after transplantation; comparisons were made between patients with recur rent HCV hepatitis and all other patients. Results. Recurrent HCV hepatitis developed in 41% (14/34) of the patients w ith HCV, At 6 months, the patients with recurrent HCV hepatitis had signifi cantly lower functional status (P=0.013) and experienced less gain in physi cal functioning from baseline than other patients (P=0.02). Quality of life , depression, and psychologic distress were not different at 6 months for p atients with recurrent HCV hepatitis compared with all other patients. At 1 2 months, the patients with recurrent HCV hepatitis had significantly lower quality of life (P=0.003), greater depression (P=0.045), higher psychologi c distress (P=0.05), and lower physical functioning (P=0.008) than all othe r patients. Conclusion. Recurrent HCV hepatitis in liver transplant recipients is assoc iated with impairment in quality of life, functional status, and greater de pression compared with patients who did not have HCV and those without HCV recurrence.