title: [Quality of life in patients with chronic hepatitis C after PEG-Interferon a-2a therapy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) in the patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) after PEG-Interferon a-2a therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A study based on 102 CHC patients (group A, before PEG- Interferon a-2a therapy, T0) and 44 healthy persons (group B) was carried out using the general quality of life inventory (GQOLI-74) questionnaire, and QOL were compared between the two groups. Patients in group A were divided into subgroup A1 (72 patients ) which was given PEG-Interferon a-2a plus Ribavirin for one year and subgroup A2 (30 patients) without any antivirus therapy. QOL of patients in these two subgroups was investigated using GQOLI-74 questionnaire on the end of PEG-Interferon a-2a plus Ribavirin therapy (T1) and half one year after the end of PEG-Interferon a-2a plus Ribavirin therapy (T2). QOL of CHC patients (group A1 and A2) were compared at T0, T1 and T2, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with group B, patients in group A had lower QOL (P < 0.05) on other scales and total scores of the GQOLI-74 questionnaire except psychological function(P > 0.05). Both on T1 and T2, patients in subgroup A1 had higher QOL on physical function, psychological function, social function and total scores than patients in subgroup A2 at the same time (P < 0.05). Patients in subgroup A1 at T1 had higher QOL on physical function, psychological function, social function and total scores than at T0 (P < 0.05). Patients in subgroup A1 at T2 had higher QOL on social function than that at T1 (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  QOL of CHC patients is more impaired than healthy persons. PEG-Interferon a-2a therapy will improve the QOL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chao-shuang
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: San-hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Mei-ling
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Zhi-xin
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhi-liang
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; 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; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a