Highlights
* Relationships between cognitive performance and serum analytes are different pre-and post-HCV treatment.
* Visual memory (both immediate and delayed) correlates with kynurenine and TGF-B pre-treatment.
* Post-treatment, visual memory correlates with TGF-B while delayed visual memory correlates with GABA.
* Ten individuals improved working memory scores to a minimal clinically important difference.
* Those who improved in working memory had higher baseline levels of TNF and lower baseline levels of COMT.
Abstract
An important extrahepatic consequence of Hepatitis C is its adverse impact on the central nervous system and cognitive performance. We aimed to determine whether there is a significant relationship between selected neurotransmitters and cytokines and cognitive performance in patients with Chronic Hepatitis C before and after achieving sustained virologic response (SVR). Pre-SVR, elevated kynurenine was associated with increased immediate and delayed visual memory, whereas post-SVR the positive associations are between kynurenine and immediate and delayed verbal memory. TGF-B was consistently negatively associated with both immediate and delayed visual memory pre- and post-SVR. These concomitant changes may have important clinical relevance.
