The supplementation of acetyl-L-carnitine decreases fatigue and increases quality of life in patients with hepatitis C treated with pegylated interferon-α 2b plus ribavirin.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether supplementation of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) to pegylated-interferon-α 2b (Peg-IFN-α 2b) and ribavirin (RBV) improves the health-related quality of life during the treatment for chronic hepatitis C, thereby decreasing the risk of treatment discontinuation. Sixty patients with chronic hepatitis C underwent treatment with Peg-IFN-α 2b + RBV (group A; n = 29) or Peg-IFN-α 2b + RBV + ALC (group B; n = 31) for 12 months. At the end of the study, the comparison between group A and group B showed significant differences in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (-80.9 versus -110.3; P < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (-111.6 versus -134.7; P < 0.001), Viremia (-3.26 versus -3.82; P < 0.05), mental health (0 versus 11; P < 0.001), physical functioning (-1 versus 8; P < 0.001), role-physical (1 versus 13; P < 0.001), bodily pain (1 versus 12; P < 0.001), general health (3 versus 12; P < 0.001), vitality (3 versus 13; P < 0.001), social functioning (3 versus 10; P < 0.001), physical fatigue (2.1 versus -5.4; P < 0.001), mental fatigue (-0.7 versus -2.7; P < 0.001), and fatigue severity scale (-3.4 versus -12; P < 0.001). ALC supplementation reduced both mental and physical fatigue, improved health-related quality of life, and, therefore, has the potential to increase patient adherence to the combination regimen. This, in turn, may increase the percentage of patients achieving a sustained virological response.

• Authors: Michele Malaguarnera, Marco Vacante, Gaetano Bertino, Sergio Neri, Mariano Malaguarnera, Maria Pia Gargante, Massimo Motta, Lorenzo Lupo, Giuseppe Chisari, Cosimo Marcello Bruno, Giovanni Pennisi, Rita Bella
• Journal: Journal of interferon & cytokine research : the official journal of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research (J Interferon Cytokine Res) Vol. 31 Issue 9 Pg. 653-9 (Sep 2011) ISSN: 1557-7465 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21923249 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Interferon alpha-2
• Interferon-alpha
• Recombinant Proteins
• Polyethylene Glycols
• Ribavirin
• Acetylcarnitine
• peginterferon alfa-2b

Topics

• Acetylcarnitine (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Adult
• Dietary Supplements
• Fatigue (drug therapy)
• Female
• Hepatitis C, Chronic (drug therapy, pathology)
• Humans
• Interferon alpha-2
• Interferon-alpha (therapeutic use)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Polyethylene Glycols (therapeutic use)
• Quality of Life
• Recombinant Proteins (therapeutic use)
• Ribavirin (therapeutic use)