Quality of life in hemodialysis patients: hepatitis C virus infection makes sense

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection impairs quality of life (QOL) in patients who are not on dialysis therapy. In dialysis patients, how HCV infection affects QOL is unknown. In our study, we investigated the independent relationship between HCV infection and QOL. Sociodemographic and laboratory variables were recorded. Severity of depressive symptoms and QOL were assessed by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Short Form-36 (SF-36), respectively. Among 165 patients, 83 were anti-HCV antibody positive and 82 were anti-HCV antibody negative. Anti-HCV antibody positive patients had higher BDI scores than anti-HCV antibody negative patients (P = 0.011). Other than the social functioning subscale, all SF-36 subscales were lower in anti-HCV antibody positive patients when compared with anti-HCV negative patients. Anti-HCV antibody positive patients had lower physical (P = 0.003) and mental component summary scores (P = 0.018) than negative patients. Physical component summary score was independently associated with hemodialysis duration (P = 0.003), sleep disturbance (P = 0.046), BDI score (P = 0.027), albumin (P = 0.002), and serum hemoglobin (P < 0.0001). Physical component summary score was not associated with anti-HCV antibody positivity. Mental component summary score was independently associated with BDI score (P = 0.001), anti-HCV antibody positivity (P = 0.016), and serum hemoglobin (P < 0.0001). HCV infection impairs QOL, especially in mental aspects, in hemodialysis patients.