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HCV encephalopathy – an artefact due to medical care?
Author(s) -
Weissenborn K.,
Tillmann H. L.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of viral hepatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1365-2893
pISSN - 1352-0504
DOI - 10.1111/jvh.12547
Subject(s) - viremia , hepatitis c virus , chronic hepatitis , hepatitis c , medicine , epidemiology , mood , immunology , encephalopathy , psychiatry , memory problems , intensive care medicine , virology , virus , dementia , disease
Summary Anti‐HCV positive individuals frequently complain about chronic disabling fatigue, mood alterations and deficits in concentration and memory. Several data provide evidence that such alterations are unrelated to hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia. Thus, merely being exposed to HCV in the past may be sufficient to trigger, but the HCV exposure itself. This commentary reviews the available data upon this topic with special reference to the paper by Lowry and colleagues published in this issue of the Journal of Viral hepatitis. We will carefully discuss scientific reasons, why HCV may be directly involved in the development of neuropsychiatric symptoms independent from ongoing detectable viremia, as suggested by epidemiological data.