Depression and Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C: Correlation with Viral Replication in the Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Cytokines in Serum.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is commonly associated with depression and cognitive dysfunction, the cause of which could be related to the HCV neuroinvasion and/or state of chronic inflammation. Viral sequences and proteins were previously detected in the brain and since blood leukocytes can cross the blood-brain barrier, they could provide viral access to the CNS. Eighty chronic hepatitis C patients were tested for viral replication in PBMCs (detection of the HCV RNA-negative strand) and serum cytokines.

Effects of age, HIV, and HIV-associated clinical factors on neuropsychological functioning and brain regional volume in HIV+ patients on effective treatment.

It is yet unclear if people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV+) on stable, combined antiretroviral therapies (cARTs) decline with age at the same or greater rate than healthy people. In this study, we examined independent and interactive effects of HIV, age, and HIV-related clinical parameters on neuropsychological functioning and brain regional volume in a sizable group of Polish HIV+ men receiving cART. We also estimated the impact of nadir CD4 cell count, CD4 cell count during participation in the study, duration of HIV infection, or duration of cART along with age.