CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTION CAUSES A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION INQUALITY-OF-LIFE IN THE ABSENCE OF CIRRHOSIS

The effects of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, in the absen ce of cirrhosis, on patients' quality of life was assessed using the s hort form 36 (SF36) symptomatology questionnaire, Patients with chroni c hepatitis C were polysymptomatic and had significant reductions in t heir SF36 scores for all of the modalities tested, Patients with chron ic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection showed a reduction in the SF36 sc ores that assessed mental functions, but they had no decrease in the s cores that measured physical symptoms, indicating that the symptoms as sociated with chronic HCV infection are qualitatively different from t hose associated with chronic HBV infection, Patients with chronic HCV infection who had used intravenous drugs in the past had the greatest impairment in quality-of-life scores, but the reduction in quality-of- life scores was still found in patients who had never used drugs, The reduction in quality of life could not be attributed to the degree of liver inflammation or to the mode of acquisition of the infection, Hen ce, chronic infection with HCV per se gives rise to physical symptoms that reduce the quality of life of infected patients.