Journal
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY
Volume 66, Issue 1, Pages 41-48Publisher
PHYSICIANS POSTGRADUATE PRESS
DOI: 10.4088/JCP.v66n0106
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Funding
- NCRR NIH HHS [M01 RR00039, M01 RR000039] Funding Source: Medline
- NIMH NIH HHS [MH60723, MH64619, R01 MH060723, MH00680, K05 MH069124, K23 MH064619] Funding Source: Medline
- NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH RESOURCES [M01RR000039] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH [R01MH060723, K23MH064619, K05MH069124] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
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Background: Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) plus ribavirin is used to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and is associated with a high rate of depression. Newer. pegylated preparations of IFN-alpha have a longer half-life. require once-per-week dosing, and may be associated with reduced neuropsychiatric burden. Limited data exist on depression during pegylated IFN-alpha therapy. Method: Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) in 162 HCV-infected patients at baseline and after 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks of treatment with pegylated IFN alpha-2b (PEG IFN) plus weight-based (N = 86) versus standard dose (N = 76) ribavirin. Data were collected from March 2001 to April 2003. Results: Compared with baseline, mean SDS index scores were significantly increased by week 4 and remained elevated throughout the study. Thirty-nine percent of the sample experienced moderate to severe depressive symptoms (SDS index score greater than or equal to 60) at some point during PEG IFN/ribavirin therapy. Baseline depression scores significantly predicted severity of depressive symptoms during PEG IFN/ribavirin treatment (simple regression analysis: Y = 0.55X + 32.7. p < .0001). In addition, assignment to weight-based ribavirin treatment and history of depression were associated with increased likelihood of developing moderate to severe depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 2.7. 95% CI = 1.3 to 5.6, p < .01. and OR = 3.3. 95% CI = 1.3 to 8.1, p < .01, respectively). Conclusions: Development of moderate to severe depressive symptoms occurred frequently during PEG IFN/ribavirin treatment and was predicted by baseline depression scores and higher doses of ribavirin. History of major depressive disorder was also a significant predictive factor, but only through association with elevated baseline depression status. All of these factors can be evaluated and addressed to limit neuropsychiatric morbidity during HCV treatment.
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