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Immunofluorescence to Monitor the Cellular Uptake of Human Lactoferrin and its Associated Antiviral Activity Against the Hepatitis C Virus
Published on: October 1, 2015
Sadness and mild cognitive impairment as predictors for interferon-alpha-induced depression in patients with
Susanne Sarkar1, Rahul Sarkar1, Thomas Berg1
1Susanne Sarkar, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité, Mitte, Berlin, and Department and Outpatient Clinic of Medical Psychology, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg; Rahul Sarkar, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Asklepios Westklinikum Hamburg-Klinikum, Hamburg; Thomas Berg, MD, Department of Gastroenterology und Rheumatology, Section of Hepatology, Universitätsklinikum, Leipzig; Martin Schaefer, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité, Mitte, Berlin, and Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Addiction Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany.
Background:
Antiviral therapy with interferon-alpha (IFN-α) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with increased risk for depression.
Aims:
To identify clinical predictors for IFN-α-induced depression during antiviral therapy for HCV infection.
Method:
Depression (defined with the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)) was evaluated before and during antiviral treatment in 91 people with chronic HCV infection without a history of psychiatric disorders. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Trail Making Test A/B (TMT A/B). (Trial registration at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00136318.)
Results:
Depression during antiviral therapy was significantly associated with a baseline MADRS score of 3 or higher (P = 0.006). In total, 89% (n = 16) of patients who had a baseline score >0 for the single item sadness developed depression. Poor baseline performance in the TMT A (P = 0.027) and TMT B (P = 0.033) was predictive for severe depression.
Conclusions:
Pre-treatment screening for subthreshold depressive and cognitive symptoms will help to identify those at risk for IFN-α-associated depression among patients with chronic hepatitis C.
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