title: The supplementation of acetyl-L-carnitine decreases fatigue and increases quality of life in patients with hepatitis C treated with pegylated interferon-α 2b plus ribavirin.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether supplementation of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) to pegylated-interferon-α 2b (Peg-IFN-α 2b) and ribavirin (RBV) improves the health-related quality of life during the treatment for chronic hepatitis C, thereby decreasing the risk of treatment discontinuation. Sixty patients with chronic hepatitis C underwent treatment with Peg-IFN-α 2b + RBV (group A; n = 29) or Peg-IFN-α 2b + RBV + ALC (group B; n = 31) for 12 months. At the end of the study, the comparison between group A and group B showed significant differences in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (-80.9 versus -110.3; P < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (-111.6 versus -134.7; P < 0.001), Viremia (-3.26 versus -3.82; P < 0.05), mental health (0 versus 11; P < 0.001), physical functioning (-1 versus 8; P < 0.001), role-physical (1 versus 13; P < 0.001), bodily pain (1 versus 12; P < 0.001), general health (3 versus 12; P < 0.001), vitality (3 versus 13; P < 0.001), social functioning (3 versus 10; P < 0.001), physical fatigue (2.1 versus -5.4; P < 0.001), mental fatigue (-0.7 versus -2.7; P < 0.001), and fatigue severity scale (-3.4 versus -12; P < 0.001). ALC supplementation reduced both mental and physical fatigue, improved health-related quality of life, and, therefore, has the potential to increase patient adherence to the combination regimen. This, in turn, may increase the percentage of patients achieving a sustained virological response.
authors.affiliation: Research Center The Great Senescence, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. malaguar@unict.it
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malaguarnera
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vacante
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertino
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malaguarnera
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Gargante
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lupo
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chisari
authors.forename: Cosimo Marcello
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pennisi
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bella
mesh_terms: D000108:Acetylcarnitine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005221:Fatigue / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; D000108:Acetylcarnitine; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b