Quality of life study in asymptomatic patients with hepatitis C.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: an observational, longitudinal, prospective study was performed to assess changes in perceived quality of life in asymptomatic patients with hepatitis C under treatment with direct-acting antivirals. Questionnaires SF-36 and EQ-5D-5L were administered to 86 treated patients and 12 controls. RESULTS: there were improvements in several parameters such as physical functioning, bodily pain, general health, vitality and social functioning, particularly when the perceptions were compared before treatment and after treatment completion and following recovery. CONCLUSION: these data support the hypothesis that the hepatitis C virus may worsen quality of life in asymptomatic patients.

Patients with hepatitis C lost to follow-up: ethical-legal aspects and search results.

INTRODUCTION: data on the prevalence and characteristics of hepatitis C patients lost to follow-up are lacking. In addition, the identification of this population clashes with data protection regulations. METHODS: the identification and contact protocol was submitted to the Health Care Ethics Committee. The protocol was based on anti-HCV serology test results for 2010-2018, which were obtained from the Microbiology Department. In addition, the situation of the patients in the hospital and regional database was analyzed, based on the following classification: a) chronic hepatitis C, if the last HCV RNA determination was positive; b) cured hepatitis C, if the last HCV RNA determination was negative after 12 weeks of treatment; and c) possible hepatitis C, if anti-HCV antibodies were positive with no result for HCV RNA. Lost patients were defined as those with chronic or possible hepatitis C and no follow-up in the Digestive Diseases or Internal Medicine Departments. The patients were contacted by postal mail and then by telephone, so that they could be offered treatment. RESULTS: the Ethics Committee considered that the protocol fulfilled the bioethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice and that contact was ethically desirable. From 4,816 positive anti-HCV serology results, 677 patients were identified who were lost to follow-up (14.06 %; 95 % CI, 13.2-15.2). The mean age was 54 years, 61 % were male, 12 % were foreign born and 95 % were mono-infected. The study of each serology result took 1.3 minutes. One-quarter (25 %) of the losses corresponded to the Digestive Diseases and Internal Medicine Departments. Of the 677 losses, serology testing had only been ordered for 449 patients (66.3 %) and the remaining 228 (33.7 %) also had a positive HCV RNA result. CONCLUSION: a large number of patients with hepatitis C are lost to follow-up. Searching for and contacting these patients is legally and ethically viable.

Hepatitis E virus in neurological disorders: a case of Parsonage-Turner syndrome.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is an emerging disease in developed countries with a broad clinical spectrum. In the absence of immunodeficiency or pregnancy, it is a mild and almost asymptomatic condition in most cases. However, extrahepatic manifestations, including neurological conditions, are common and may occasionally lead to permanent neurological sequelae. Herein, we report the case of an immunocompetent patient who was admitted to our hospital with paresthesia and weakness in both the upper extremities associated with anicteric-elevated transaminases. The diagnosis was Parsonage-Turner syndrome (neuralgic amyotrophy) secondary to HEV infection. The diagnosis was reached via electromyography and serology tests. Neuralgic amyotrophy (NA) is a demyelinating axonal disease that affects the brachial plexus and is associated with HEV infection in up to 10% of cases. We also emphasize the importance of requesting HEV serology in patients with neurological disease, especially with the involvement of the peripheral nervous system. Although the role of ribavirin remains to be fully determined, early diagnosis and treatment may result in an improved prognosis, thereby minimizing neurological sequelae.