Editorial
Copyright ©2011 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 7, 2011; 17(29): 3369-3374
Published online Aug 7, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i29.3369
Neuropsychological alterations in hepatitis C infection: The role of inflammation
Marco Senzolo, Sami Schiff, Cristina Maria D’Aloiso, Chiara Crivellin, Evangelos Cholongitas, Patrizia Burra, Sara Montagnese
Marco Senzolo, Cristina Maria D’Aloiso, Chiara Crivellin, Patrizia Burra, Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Department of Surgical and Gastroenterological Sciences, University Hospital of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy
Sami Schiff, Sara Montagnese, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy
Evangelos Cholongitas, The Royal Free Sheila Sherlock Liver Centre and Department of Surgery, UCL and Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3 2QG, United Kindom
Author contributions: Senzolo M and Montagnese S designed of the study and wrote the manuscript; Schiff S, Cholongitas E and Crivellin C reviewed the literature; D’Aloiso CM and Burra P performed the study on cytokines in hepatitis C virus.
Correspondence to: Dr. Marco Senzolo, Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Department of Surgical and Gastroenterological Sciences, University Hospital of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, 35136, Padua, Italy. marcosenzolo@hotmail.com
Telephone: +39-49-8218726 Fax: +39-49-8760820
Received: December 18, 2010
Revised: January 14, 2011
Accepted: January 21, 2011
Published online: August 7, 2011
Abstract

About 50% of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection complain of neuropsychiatric symptoms, “brain fog”, weakness, fatigue, and exhibit some degree of quality of life impairment, irrespective of the severity of liver disease. Since the first observation of HCV-related cognitive deficits, 10 studies have been published that have evaluated neuropsychiatric performance in patients with HCV infection and different degrees of hepatic impairment. Unfortunately, these have often included patients with cirrhosis, patients who had acquired the infection through previous intravenous drug misuse, who had a history of relatively recent treatment with interferon, or were on psychoactive medication. In addition, different neuropsychological batteries and tests that explored different cognitive domains were used, which makes the results of the studies difficult to compare. Finally, limited information is available on the pathogenesis of HCV-related cognitive impairment. Cerebral and/or systemic inflammation may be important players but their potential role has not been substantiated by experimental data. The present review outlines the available evidence of the presence of cognitive impairment in patients with HCV infection, with a focus on the potential relationship with cerebral and/or systemic inflammation.

Keywords: Cognitive alterations; Hepatitis C virus; Inflammation