Acetyl-L-Carnitine Supplementation During HCV Therapy With Peg IFN-α2b Plus Ribavirin: Effect on Work Performance.

Effect of Supplementation of Antioxidant Substances and Probiotics in HCV Correlated Liver Disease Treated With Interferon and Ribavirin. Studies on Biochemical and Virological Response and on Quality of Life.

To assess the effects of Acetyl-L-Carnitine, probiotics and antioxidant nutritional substances administration on work productivity, daily activity, and fatigue in subjects with chronic hepatitis C treated with Pegylated-Interferon-α2b and Ribavirin.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Eligible patients are workers who are 18 years of age or older, infected by HCV with a quantifiable serum HCV RNA level (as determined by polimerase chain reaction, COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan - ROCHE). HCV infected populations must have elevated serum alanine transaminase levels and findings on liver biopsy consistent with chronic infection. Cirrhotic patients have to have a Child-Pugh score less than 7 to be eligible.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Ineligible patients are those who had other liver diseases, as well as those who are affected by cancer, severe jaundice, pulmonary and renal chronic diseases, prostatic diseases, autoimmune diseases and diabetes mellitus. Excessive use of alcohol (>20 g/die) or hepato-toxic drugs. Other causes of exclusion include decompensated cirrhosis, pregnancy, and contraindications for Peg-IFN-a or RBV therapy such as cardiopathy, hemoglobinopathies, hemocromatosis, major depression or other severe psychiatric pathological conditions.