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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects other tissues besides the liver tissue, with the appearance of extrahepatic manifestations such as cryoglobulinemia, lymphoproliferative diseases, metabolic disorders, neuropsychiatric disorders and others. At the basis of their appearance are immune-mediated mechanisms stimulated by the HCV. The antiviral therapy with direct action initiated in all patients with chronic HCV infection acts on these manifestations, contributing to improving the quality of life, but also to eliminating a public health problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with various extrahepatic manifestations, including depression. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression in treatment-naive HCV patients and explore its potential association with liver fibrosis severity. Methodology A consecutive cohort of 50 treatment-naive HCV patients without coinfections was enrolled over six months. Depression was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and the liver fibrosis stage was evaluated using Fibroscan elastography. Results The cohort comprised 62% females (n=31) and 38% males (n=19), with ages ranging from 27 to 76 years. HAM-D scores indicated mild depression in 78% (n=39) and moderate depression in 16% (n=8) of patients. Notably, patients with mild depression displayed varying degrees of liver fibrosis (F0, F1, and F2), while all patients with moderate depression had advanced fibrosis (F3). Based on the multiple regression model, fibrosis was a statistically significant independent predictor with an unstandardized regression coefficient (B) of 3.115 (p=0.007). Conclusions Our findings point to a high prevalence of depression in treatment-naive HCV patients. Interestingly, there might be a link between depression severity and the stage of liver fibrosis, with advanced fibrosis potentially associated with more severe depression., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Stoenescu et al.)