Neuropsychiatric performance and treatment of hepatitis C with direct-acting antivirals: a prospective study

Real-world effectiveness and safety of direct-acting antivirals in hepatitis C virus patients with mental disorders

BACKGROUND

It is estimated that 58 million people worldwide are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Patients with severe psychiatric disorders could not be treated with previously available interferon-based therapies due to their unfavorable side effect profile. This has changed with the introduction of direct-acting antivirals (DAA), although their real-life tolerance and effectiveness in patients with different psychiatric disorders remain to be demonstrated.

AIM

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of DAA in patients with various mental illnesses.

METHODS

This was a retrospective observational study encompassing 14272 patients treated with DAA for chronic hepatitis C in 22 Polish hepatology centers, including 942 individuals diagnosed with a mental disorder (anxiety disorder, bipolar affective disorder, depression, anxiety-depressive disorder, personality disorder, schizophrenia, sleep disorder, substance abuse disorder, and mental illness without a specific diagnosis). The safety and effectiveness of DAA in this group were compared to those in a group without psychiatric illness (n = 13330). Antiviral therapy was considered successful if serum ribonucleic acid (RNA) of HCV was undetectable 12 wk after its completion [sustained virologic response (SVR)]. Safety data, including the incidence of adverse events (AEs), serious AEs (SAEs), and deaths, and the frequency of treatment modification and discontinuation, were collected during therapy and up to 12 wk after treatment completion. The entire study population was included in the intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis. Per-protocol (PP) analysis concerned patients who underwent HCV RNA evaluation 12 wk after completing treatment.

RESULTS

Among patients with mental illness, there was a significantly higher percentage of men, treatment-naive patients, obese, human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus-coinfected, patients with cirrhosis, and those infected with genotype 3 (GT3) while infection with GT1b was more frequent in the population without psychiatric disorders. The cure rate calculated PP was not significantly different in the two groups analyzed, with a SVR of 96.9% and 97.7%, respectively. Although patients with bipolar disorder achieved a significantly lower SVR, the multivariate analysis excluded it as an independent predictor of treatment non-response. Male sex, GT3 infection, cirrhosis, and failure of previous therapy were identified as independent negative predictors. The percentage of patients who completed the planned therapy did not differ between groups with and without mental disorders. In six patients, symptoms of mental illness (depression, schizophrenia) worsened, of which two discontinued treatments for this reason. New episodes of sleep disorders occurred significantly more often in patients with mental disorders. Patients with mental illness were more frequently lost to follow-up (4.2% vs 2.5%).

CONCLUSION

DAA treatment is safe and effective in HCV-infected patients with mental disorders. No specific psychiatric diagnosis lowered the chance of successful antiviral treatment.

Perceived Stress in Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients under the DAA-Based Therapy

The Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection often associates medical and mental health conditions which lead to increased levels of distress. Our study aimed at assessing the level of perceived stress on a sample of 90 HCV infected patients treated with Direct-Acting Antiviral (DAA) agents for 12 weeks, and its possible correlations with clinical and evolutionary elements. The evaluation was conducted in three phases: before administration of the DAAs (BSL), at the End of the Treatment (EOT), and 24 weeks after the BSL (Sustained Viral Response—SVR). The perceived stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The efficiency of the DAA treatment reduced the levels of stress (98.99% moderate and high stress at BSL to 70.00% at SVR). It was observed, for the entire study period (BSL to SVR), that the decrease in the perceived stress severity was significantly associated with demographic items such as gender (p < 0.01), urban environment (p < 0.001), the age of the subjects (p < 0.05), and clinical data such as F4 degree of fibrosis (p = 0.001) and overweight or obesity class II (p < 0.01). The perceived stress is directly associated with the severity of the HCV infection, and it could be significantly lowered by an efficient therapeutic approach, as DAAs are nowadays.

Neuropsychological effects of direct-acting antiviral treatment for Hepatitis C virus subjects: A systematic review

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have been approved in recent years to treat patients infected by the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). The DAAs treatment is well tolerated and increases sustained virological responses, but there is no consensus about the neuropsychological functioning related to the treatment. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the recent findings exploring the cognitive effects of DAAs treatment in patients with HCV. After a systematic search on PubMed, Embase, Scopus and LILACS, studies that assessed neuropsychological data related to DAAs treatment were included. We found nine articles, considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Three other manuscripts were included after searching for the references listed in the previously mentioned articles. We observed methodological heterogeneity in terms of neuropsychological tests used, cognitive domain explored and the sample characteristic presented between the studies. Studies presented data from HCV subjects monoinfected with or without cirrhosis, advanced liver disease and post-transplant patients; and HCV subjects coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Most results from the 12 studies that explored the effect of DAAs treatment in HCV subjects' neurocognitive functioning demonstrated cognitive improvement following treatment. In general, HCV and HCV/HIV subjects improved processing speed, verbal fluency and verbal/visual episodic memory. The DAAs treatment is effective for neurocognitive functioning in HCV monoinfected and coinfected subjects, with or without advanced liver disease, since neuropsychological scores increased after treatment. Further studies, however, are needed to confirm these findings.

Impact of direct acting antivirals (DAA) on neurologic disorders in chronic hepatitis C

INTRODUCTION

Neurologic and neuropsychiatric manifestations sometimes provide the first evidence of an unknown HCV infection. These conditions develop with a variable ranging of morbidity, including: "brain fog," fatigue, subtle cognitive and attention impairment, but also with more severe complications or acute presentation, like encephalomyelitis, encephalopathy, stroke and peripheral nerves involvement.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

We performed a systematic literature search on PubMed, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases for articles only in English language, that assessed the relationship between "DAA treatment and neurologic disorders" and after the attainment of SVR in full reports of cases that received the DAA schedule from January 2015 to December 2019. The following terms were used: "chronic Hepatitis C," "HCV," "DAA," "direct-acting antiviral," "SVR," "sustained virologic response," peripheral neuropathy" and "neurologic diseases or disorders."

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

HCV infection does not only involve the liver, causing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but also induces extrahepatic manifestations (EHM), mainly due to a complex immune disease, that damage small and medium vessels, called "mixed cryoglobulinemic vasculitis" (MCV). This kind of mechanism generates most of the HCV-induced neurological damages. Since 2015, the availability of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) oral molecules interfering with HCV replication has completely revolutionized therapeutic options and the target population, which now includes patients aged 12 to 80 years and with advanced liver disease. Relevant was the highlighted DAA effectiveness by achievement of a sustained virologic response (SVR) in about 95% of cases, showing a great tolerability.

CONCLUSIONS

This favorable effect has arisen in a wide category of patients infected by HCV, including subjects with cirrhosis and complications and/or with EHM, who showed a significant improvement of their symptoms and the disease regression. In this concise review, we examine the clinical outcomes after the introduction of the DAA for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC), focusing on the neurologic disorders and concluding that there is a strong amelioration of neurologic conditions in several cases, particularly, after attaining the viral eradication with a favorable course in most treated cases.

Direct antivirals and cognitive impairment in hepatitis C: a clinical-neurophysiologic study

Cognition was assessed in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients, who did not meet the criteria for a minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Their liver function was compensated. We then disentangled potential cognitive changes associated with a sustained virologic response at 12 weeks (SVR-12), following treatment with direct antiviral agents (DAAs). We studied 23 selected HCV patients with a battery of standard neuropsychological tests, and with recordings of the P300 wave, a cerebral potential of “cognitive” significance. There was a baseline evaluation (T0) and a second one 6 months later (T1). We had 2 control groups of comparable age and sex, i.e., 15 patients suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and 15 healthy subjects. At T0, we detected a significant (p < 0.05) cognitive impairment in the HCV group, which involved episodic and working memory, attention, visuospatial and verbal abilities, executive functions, and logic reasoning. The P300 latency was significantly (p < 0.05) delayed in the group. At T1, we observed some significant (p < 0.05) HCV recovery in given test domains, e.g., memory, executive functions, and reasoning. Accordingly, the P300 latency shortened significantly (p < 0.05). HCV patients exhibited subtle cognitive defects, somehow independent of their liver condition, possibly linked to direct or indirect brain involvement by the virus. These defects partly recovered following the SVR-12, as achieved through DAAs. The P300 wave was a valid neurophysiologic counterpart of these changes. DAAs can have a role in the early preservation of cognition in HCVs.

Neuropsychiatric Effects of Antiviral Drugs

The adverse events of antiviral drugs are dose-dependent and often reversible. The nervous system is often affected and to date, many studies have been published regarding the central nervous system toxicity of antiviral agents. They may cause significant neuropsychiatric complications, which range from mild symptoms such as irritability and difficulty sleeping to severe complications such as depression, psychosis, and painful peripheral neuropathy, side effects which may necessitate discontinuation of treatment. The pathogenetic mechanisms may involve molecular targets common to other centrally active drugs, including human monoamine oxidase‐A (MAO‐A), serotonin receptors, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) GABA-A receptors, 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors and others. Notable examples include oseltamivir which may act as MAO inhibitor and efavirenz, which has an affinity for serotonin 5-HT2 and GABA-A receptors, the serotonin transporter, the MAO enzyme, and the vesicular monoamine transporter, with subjective effects which may be similar to those of the psychedelic hallucinogen lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Other antiviral drugs with prominent nervous system effects include nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, which are associated with the development of peripheral neuropathy after prolonged use (an effect strongly associated with older drugs which have since fallen into disfavor such as stavudine) and interferons, which may cause depression. Clinicians should be familiar with such adverse effects in order to recognise them promptly once they occur and manage them appropriately.

Effects of Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents on the Mental Health of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C: A Prospective Observational Study

In chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients, interferon-based treatments showed toxicity, limited efficacy, and psychiatric manifestations. Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents appeared safer, though it remains unclear if they may exacerbate or foster mood symptoms in drug-naïve CHC patients. We evaluated 62 CHC patients' mental status, before and 12 weeks after DAA therapy, by assessment scales and psychometric instruments. We subdivided patients into two groups, CHC patients with (Group A) or without (Group B) a current and/or past psychiatric history. After DAA treatment, Group A patients showed low anxiety and improved depression, no variation in self-report distress, but worse general health perceptions. No significant difference emerged from coping strategies. Depression and anxiety improved in Group B, and no change emerged from total self-reported distress, except for somatization. Moreover, Group B increased problem-focused strategies for suppression of competing activities, and decreased strategies of instrumental social support. Contrarily, Group B reduced significantly emotion-focused strategies, such as acceptance and mental disengagement, and improved vitality, physical and social role functioning. DAA therapy is safe and free of hepatological and psychiatric side effects in CHC patients, regardless of current and/or past psychiatric history. In particular, patients without a psychiatric history also remarkably improved their quality of life.

Neuroimaging Findings in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: Correlation with Neurocognitive and Neuropsychiatric Manifestations

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is commonly associated with neurocognitive dysfunction, altered neuropsychological performance and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Quantifiable neuropsychological changes in sustained attention, working memory, executive function, verbal learning and recall are the hallmark of HCV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HCV-AND). This constellation is at variance with the neuropsychological complex that is seen in minimal hepatic encephalopathy, which is typified by an array of alterations in psychomotor speed, selective attention and visuo-constructive function. Noncognitive symptoms, including sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety and fatigue, which are less easily quantifiable, are frequently encountered and can dominate the clinical picture and the clinical course of patients with chronic HCV infection. More recently, an increased vulnerability to Parkinson’s disease among HCV-infected patients has also been reported. The degree to which neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric changes are due to HCV replication within brain tissues or HCV-triggered peripheral immune activation remain to be determined. Without absolute evidence that clearly exonerates or indicts HCV, our understanding of the so-called “HCV brain syndrome”, relies primarily on clinical and neuropsychological assessments, although other comorbidities and substance abuse may impact on neurocognitive function, thus confounding an appropriate recognition. In recent years, a number of functional and structural brain imaging studies have been of help in recognizing possible biological markers of HCV-AND, thus providing a rationale for guiding and justifying antiviral therapy in selected cases. Here, we review clinical, neuroradiological, and therapeutic responses to interferon-based and interferon-free regimens in HCV-related cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorder.

A case report of psychiatric symptoms following direct-acting antiviral and ribavirin combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C in a patient with innate anxiety

Background

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) result in a highly sustained virological response rate and better patient tolerance. However, this therapeutic approach may, on rare occasions, give rise to psychiatric symptoms. We describe a case requiring discontinuation of DAA and ribavirin combination therapy due to psychiatric symptoms in a patient with congenital anxious personality traits. The information summarized here will be helpful to physicians treating chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients with underlying psychiatric problems.

Case presentation

A 57-year-old Japanese woman diagnosed with chronic HCV infection was prescribed DAA and ribavirin combination therapy. She had a history of mild innate anxiety and development of psychiatric symptoms due to interferon (IFN) therapy 8 years prior, which subsided with discontinuation of the therapy. Similar psychiatric symptoms such as enervation, palpitations, an episode of hyperventilation, and consciousness disturbances with myotonia were observed after the administration of the antiviral agents. No abnormal findings related to her symptoms were observed on laboratory or imaging results. Psychiatrists diagnosed the patient as having a somatization disorder induced by the antiviral agents on the basis of innate anxiety. After the discontinuation of therapy, her symptoms gradually improved.

Conclusions

Although DAAs were not causative factors for psychiatric symptoms in phase 3 studies, a post-marketing study reported psychiatric symptoms such as depression in patients with underlying psychiatric problems. Our case suggests psychiatric symptoms might worsen after DAA and ribavirin administration in patients with underlying psychiatric disorders, and therefore, close monitoring is necessary for these patients, especially if they have a history of psychiatric symptoms after IFN.