Depression and pegylated interferon-based hepatitis C treatment

ession and pegylated interferon-based hepatitis C treatment Review (3564) Total Article Views Authors: Papafragkakis H, Rao MS, Moehlen M, Dhillon S, Martin P Published Date March 2012 Volume 2012:4 Pages 25 - 35 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJICMR.S28901 Received: 05 December 2011 Accepted: 24 January 2012 Published: 28 March 2012 Haris Papafragkakis1, Murali S Rao2, Martin Moehlen3, Sonu Dhillon4, Paul Martin1 1Division of Hepatology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 2Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, 3Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 4Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, St Francis Medical Center, Peoria, IL, USA Abstract: Interferon remains an essential component of treatment regimens for chronic hepatitis C infection. Mood disturbances, including depression, are relatively common in the hepatitis C virus-infected population and may worsen during hepatitis C treatment. Screening for depression prior to commencement of therapy is crucial and may improve treatment outcomes. Whether prophylactic antidepressant therapy should be initiated prior to therapy of hepatitis C virus infection with an interferon-based regimen remains unclear. We review the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of depression before and during treatment of hepatitis C virus infection with interferon.