Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 26, 2025

High-throughput Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Assay for Determining Expression Profiles of Types I and III Interferon Subtypes
Published on: March 24, 2015
Mental Disorders and Interferon Nontreatment in Hepatitis C Virus Infection-a Population Based Cohort Study
Wei-Che Chiu1,2, Mong-Liang Lu3,4, Cheng-Chen Chang5,6,7
1Department of Psychiatry, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Objective:
This study investigates the association between mental disorders and interferon nontreatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a large national sample.
Methods:
Using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we conducted a nationwide population-based study. Each case was matched to five controls by age, sex, urbanization, and income. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess odds of HCV nontreatment in different mental disorders.
Results:
From 1999 to 2013, we identified 92,970 subjects with HCV infection and 15,495 HCV cases (16.7%) had received IFN therapy. Other than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the medical diseases and mental disorders were significantly different between IFN and non-IFN treated HCV patients. After adjusting for medical diseases, depressive disorder and anxiety disorder was positively associated with receiving IFN therapy. Patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and alcohol use disorders were significantly less likely to receive interferon. Antidepressant exposure (cumulative daily exposure or cumulative daily dose) was associated with lower odds of IFN treatment.
Conclusion:
Our nationwide cohort study demonstrated that INF nontreatment rate was lower in certain mental disorders. Antidepressant exposure might lower the chance of receiving IFN treatment. Our results may help to identify and to overcome the obstacles for HCV treatment and further apply to DAAs regimen.
Related Concept Videos
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Dose Adjustments Due to Hepatic Impairment
Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Affecting Factors
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow
Confounding in Epidemiological Studies

