Effect of Direct Acting Antiviral treatment on quality of life of chronic hepatitis C patients and its relation to sustained viral response: A pre-post intervention study

Background: Hepatitis C virus constitutes an epidemic in Egypt having the highest prevalence in the world of 14.7%, making it the most challenging public health problem facing the country with genotype 4 is the dominant. It is associated with impaired quality of life (QoL). The study objective is to compare the QoL score immediately and three months after direct acting antiviral treatment with score before treatment in chronic hepatitis C in patients with and without SVR

Methods: This is a pre-post study carried out in the Egyptian Liver Hospital, Sherbin City, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. Data was collected from 38 patients before treatment and QoL scale was re-measured immediately after the end of treatment and three months after treatment during the follow-up visit. They received SOF and ribavirin for 12 and 24 weeks. They were retested by PCR for sustained virological response (SVR) three months after completed treatment. The Arabic version of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) scale was used to measure the QoL.

Results: A significant improvement was observed in the total QoL score in late post compared to pre and early post-treatment (medians were 740 vs. 657.1 and 473.3; respectively) in patients with SVR. This significant improvement was observed in scores of all domains. There is a non significant improvement in the total QoL score in late post compared to pre and early post-treatment (medians were 399 vs. 597 and 749; respectively) in non-responders. However, a significant improvement was observed in scores of physical functioning and general health domains only.

Conclusions: In addition to its efficacy and safety SOF improves QoL of HCV patients with SVR.