Quality of life in adolescents with hepatitis C treated with sofosbuvir and ribavirin. Issue 4 (26th December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Younossi, Z. M.; Stepanova, M.; Schwarz, K. B.; Wirth, S.; Rosenthal, P.; Gonzalez‐Peralta, R.; Murray, K.; Henry, L.; Hunt, S.
• Is Part Of: Journal of viral hepatitis. Volume 25:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: 354
• Page End: 362
• Publication Date: 2017-12-26
• Subjects: direct‐acting antiviral -- emotional well‐being -- paediatric -- physical well‐being -- social functioning; Hepatitis, Viral -- Periodicals; Hepatitis, Viral, Animal; Hepatitis, Viral, Human; 616.3623
• DOI: 10.1111/jvh.12830
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1352-0504

Abstract

Summary: Chronic HCV infection has been associated with impairment of HRQL in both adults and paediatric patients. Our aim was to assess the HRQL of HCV‐positive children treated with SOF + RBV. The data for this post hoc analysis were collected in a phase 2 open‐label multinational study that evaluated safety and efficacy of SOF (400 mg/day) plus RBV (weight‐based up to 1400 mg/day) for 12 or 24 weeks in adolescents with chronic HCV (GS‐US‐334‐1112). Patients and their parents/guardians completed the PedsQL‐4.0‐SF‐15 questionnaire at baseline, at the end of treatment and in post‐treatment follow‐up. We included 50 adolescents with HCV genotype 2 and 3 without cirrhosis (14.8 ± 1.9 years; male: 58%; treatment‐naïve: 82%; vertically transmitted HCV: 70%). After treatment, 100% of patients with HCV genotype 2 and 95% with genotype 3 achieved SVR‐12. During treatment with SOF + RBV, there were no significant decrements in any of patients' self‐reported or parent‐proxy‐reported PRO scores regardless of treatment duration (all P > .05). After treatment cessation, we recorded a statistically significant improvement in patients' self‐reported Social Functioning score by post‐treatment week 12: on average, +4.8 points on a 0‐100 scale ( P = .02). By post‐treatment week 24, parent‐proxy‐reported School Functioning score increased by, on average, +13.0 points ( P = .0065). In multivariate analysis, history of abdominal pain and psychiatric disorders were predictive of impaired HRQL in adolescents with HCV ( P < .05). Adolescents with HCV do not seem to experience any HRQL decrement during treatment with SOF + RBV and experience some improvement of their HRQL scores after achieving SVR.