title: [Assessment of the health-related quality of life of patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Medical Outcome Study of 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) is a well-validated generic questionnaire widely used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) is a specific HRQOL assessment designed for patients with liver diseases. The aim of our study is to evaluate the HRQOL based on SF-36 and CLDQ (Chinese version) in patients with chronic hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis, especially in the status of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The SF-36 and CLDQ were answered by 160 healthy volunteers, 20 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 106 patients with cirrhosis. HRQOL scores of the groups with different liver disease severities and with or without MHE were compared. The SF-36 includes one multi-item scale that assesses eight health categories: physical functioning, role-physical, body pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotion, and mental health. CLDQ assesses 6 categories: abdominal symptoms, fatigue, systemic symptoms, activity, emotional function and worry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the healthy controls, patients with chronic hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis at baseline had a lower HRQOL on all scales of the SF-36 and CLDQ (P < 0.01 for all). Increased severity of liver cirrhosis (based on the Child-Pugh score but with MHE or without) was associated with a decrease in most components, both in SF-36 and in CLDQ. However, patients with Child-Pugh B and C disease had similar HRQOL scores on both the SF-36 and CLDQ (P > 0.05), except role-physical and vitality on SF-36. There was a significant difference between patients with and without MHE on the SF-36 score (P < 0.01), and no significant difference (P > 0.05) on CLDQ scores except in abdominal symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Chinese version of SF-36 along with CLDQ are valid and reliable methods for testing MHE in patients with liver cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Huadong Hospital, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.forename: De-kai
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Xiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Gan-sheng
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhu-ping
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yi-qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiao-feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Min-de
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult