Efficacy of amantadine on quality of life in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon-alpha and ribavirin: results from a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate whether amantadine reduces deterioration of quality of life in patients with chronic hepatitis C during and after treatment with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and ribavirin.


METHODS
In this randomized, prospective, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, previously untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C were treated with IFN-alpha plus ribavirin [17] and randomized for treatment with amantadine (200 mg/day, orally, n=136) or placebo (n=131). Quality of life was assessed with the 'Profile of Mood States' scale and the 'Everyday Life' questionnaire at baseline, treatment week (TW) 8, TW24, TW48, and at follow-up.


RESULTS
Early during treatment at TW8, quality of life was not different between patients in the control and the amantadine group. At TW24, the control group but not the amantadine group, however, showed significant deterioration of the modalities depression, fatigue, and vigor compared with baseline. Especially, nonresponders in the amantadine group showed significantly lower deterioration of depression, anger, mind function, everyday life, and zest for life than those in the placebo group. After treatment, the beneficial effects of amantadine disappeared.


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of amantadine to IFN-alpha plus ribavirin combination therapy may reduce deterioration of depression, fatigue, and vigor during treatment but does not affect quality of life after treatment.
Kronenberger
Bernd
B
Department of Medicine I, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Medical Center, Frankfurt/M, Germany.
Berg
Thomas
T
Herrmann
Eva
E
Hinrichsen
Holger
H
Gerlach
Tilman
T
Buggisch
Peter
P
Spengler
Ulrich
U
Goeser
Tobias
T
Nasser
Samer
S
Wursthorn
Karsten
K
Pape
Gerd R
GR
Hopf
Uwe
U
Zeuzem
Stefan
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000547:Amantadine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin; D000547:Amantadine