Silybin Supplementation During HCV Therapy With Pegylated Interferon-α2b Plus Ribavirin Reduces Depression and Increases Work Ability
Silybin Supplementation During HCV Therapy With Pegylated Interferon-α2b Plus Ribavirin Reduces Depression and Increases Work Ability
Background: Hepatitis C virus infection and interferon treatment have shown to be risk
 factors for depression, distressing, psychosocial burden and poor health-related quality of
 life.

 Aim: To determine the effect of a Sylibin-vitamin E-phoshpolipids complex on work ability and
 whether health related factors (anxiety and depression) were associated with work ability in
 subjects with chronic hepatitis C treated with Peg-IFN-α and RBV.

 Patients and Methods: In this prospective, randomized, placebo controlled, double blind
 clinical trial, 31 subjects (Group A) with chronic hepatitis, received
 Pegylated-Interferon-α2b (1.5 mg/kg per week) plus Ribavirin and placebo, while 31 subjects
 (Group B) received the same dosage of Pegylated-Interferon-α2b plus Ribavirin plus
 association of Silybin 94 mg + vitamin E 90 mg + phospholipids 194 mg in one pill for 12
 months. All subjects underwent laboratory exams and questionnaires to evaluate depression
 (Beck Depression Inventory - BDI), anxiety (State-trait anxiety inventory - STAI) and work
 ability (Work ability Index - WAI).
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  HCV infection

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  cancer severe jaundice pulmonary and renal chronic diseases prostatic diseases
 autoimmune diseases diabetes mellitus decompensated cirrhosis pregnancy
 hemoglobinopathies hemocromatosis