Incidência de episódio depressivo em pacientes com hepatite C crônica tratados com interferon peguilado e ribavirina

Chronic Hepatitis C is one of the main causes of chronic liver disease around the world. In the west, it represents the leading cause of liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and indication of liver transplantation. Currently, the usual treatment consists on the use of pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin, associated or not with the new protease inhibitors, for 24 to 48 weeks, depending on the genotype and the degree of liver fibrosis. Besides the far from ideal effectiveness, the treatment of chronic Hepatitis C is full of adverse events, of which the neuropsychiatric disorders stand out, especially the depressive episode. In Brazil, there are few studies about the incidence of that episode on double therapy. As such, the goal of this study was to verify the incidence and the factors associated with the appearance of the depressive episode in chronic Hepatitis C patients subjected to antiviral therapy with pegylated Interferon alpha 2a or 2b and ribavirin, as well as to evaluate the impact of the appearance of that episode over the sustained viral response. 112 chronic Hepatitis C patients were included, 80 of which were antiviral treatment-naive (control group) and 32 subjected to double therapy (treatment group), regularly followed at the Hepatology Clinic of the Gastroenterology Service of HU/CAS-Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, between June 2012 and June 2014. The HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) was used for tracking the depressive episode in both groups, being applied at baseline, at weeks 4, 12, 24 and 48 and 4 weeks after interruption of the therapy on the treatment group. The diagnosis of depression was established at patients with HADS ≥ 9. These were subjected to BDI-II (Beck Depression Inventory) for gradation of the depressive episode in levels minimum, light, moderate and severe. Clinical, laboratory, histological and sociodemographic variables of interest were obtained. On the treatment group, 25% of the patients developed depressive episode, with the peak incidence observed at week 12 of antiviral therapy. The depressive episode was moderate on 87% of the patients. It was not possible to identify predictors for the depressive episode. The sustained viral response rate was 75% and 67% on patients with and without depressive episode, respectively (p = 0,66). The results allow concluding that the incidence of depression on chronic Hepatitis C carriers subjected to antiviral therapy is high and was similar to what the literature describes; it was not possible to demonstrate factors related to the appearance of depression; the presence of depression did not influence the sustained viral response rate.Mundialmente a hepatite C crônica é uma das principais causas de hepatopatia crônica. No mundo ocidental, representa a principal causa de cirrose hepática, carcinoma hepatocelular e indicação de transplante hepático. Atualmente, o tratamento utilizado consiste na utilização de interferon alfa peguilado e ribavirina associado ou não aos novos inibidores da protease por 24 a 48 semanas dependendo do genótipo e do grau de fibrose hepática. Além da eficácia longe do ideal, o tratamento da hepatite C crônica é repleto de eventos adversos destacando-se os transtornos neuropsiquiátricos, sobretudo o episódio depressivo. No Brasil existem poucos estudos a respeito da incidência deste episódio na terapia dupla. Diante disso, a proposta deste estudo foi verificar a incidência e os fatores associados ao surgimento de episódio depressivo em pacientes com hepatite C crônica submetidos à terapia antiviral com Interferon peguilado alfa 2a ou 2b e ribavirina, além de avaliar o impacto do surgimento deste episódio sobre a resposta virológica sustentada. Foram incluídos 32 pacientes com Hepatite C Crônica, submetidos à terapia dupla em seguimento regular no Ambulatório de Hepatologia do Serviço de Gastroenterologia do HU/CAS-UFJF, no período de junho de 2012 a junho de 2014. A HADS (Escala Hospitalar de Ansiedade e Depressão) foi utilizada para rastreamento do episódio depressivo, aplicada no baseline e nas semanas 4, 12, 24, 48 e 4 semanas após a interrupção da terapia. O diagnóstico de episódio depressivo foi estabelecido nos pacientes com HADS ≥ 9. Estes foram submetidos ao BDI-II (Inventário de Depressão de Beck) para graduação do episódio depressivo em nível mínimo, leve, moderado e grave. Variáveis clínicas, laboratoriais, histológicas e sócio- demográficas de interesse foram obtidas. Destes pacientes, 25% desenvolveram episódio depressivo sendo o pico de incidência observado na semana 12 de terapia antiviral. O episódio depressivo foi moderado em 87% dos pacientes. Não foi possível identificar preditores de episódio depressivo. A taxa de resposta virológica sustentada foi 75% e 67% nos pacientes com e sem episódio depressivo, respectivamente (p = 0,66). Os resultados permitem concluir que a incidência de episódio depressivo em portadores de hepatite C Crônica submetidas a terapia antiviral é elevada; não foi possível demonstrar fatores relacionados ao aparecimento deste; a presença de episódio depressivo não influenciou a taxa de resposta virológica sustentada

DEPRESSIVE EPISODE INCIDENCE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS C TREATED WITH PEGYLATED INTERFERON AND RIBAVIRIN

ABSTRACT Background The effectiveness of antiviral therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C is far from ideal and presents several adverse events. Among such events, there is the depressive episode that can even lead to treatment discontinuity Objective Analyze the incidence of depressive episodes in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with pegylated interferon (IFN-PEG) and ribavirin, as well as the possible factors associated with its occurrence and its impact on patients' sustained virological response. Methods People with chronic hepatitis C undergoing antiviral therapy were interviewed at the baseline, at the 4th, 12th, 24th and 48th treatment weeks and 4 weeks after the end of it, using the HADS scale for tracking the depressive episode. Patients with HADS ≥9 were subjected to Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) to grade the episode. Clinical, sociodemographic, laboratorial and histological variables were obtained to identify factors related to the onset of depression. The sustained virological response rate (negative HCV-RNA 6 months after end of therapy) was compared among patients with and without depressive symptoms. Results The study comprised 32 patients, most men (59%) with mean age of 54±11.13 years old. Genotype non-1 was prevalent (56%) and 81% of the patients were non-cirrhotic. The depressive episode was diagnosed in 25% of the patients and the peak incidence was found in the 12th treatment week. The depressive episode was moderate in 87% of the patients and only one patient abandoned the treatment. None of the analyzed factors was associated with depressive episode onset. A trend was observed in female patients ( P=0.08). The sustained virological response rate was of 75% and 67% in patients with and without depressive episode, respectively (P =0.66). Conclusion The incidence of depressive episodes in patients with chronic hepatitis C undergoing antiviral therapy was of 25% and the 12th treatment week was the most critical one. The presence of depressive episode did not affect the sustained virological response rate