Published online Jun 7, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i21.3003
Revised: April 3, 2007
Accepted: April 18, 2007
Published online: June 7, 2007
AIM: To evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) based on the Chinese version of SF-36 and Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) in subjects with chronic hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis, including patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE).
METHODS: The SF-36 and CLDQ were administered to 160 healthy volunteers, 20 subjects with chronic hepatitis B and 106 patients with cirrhosis (33 cases exhibited MHE). HRQOL scores were compared among the different study groups. The SF-36 includes eight health concepts: physical functioning, role-physical, body pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotion, and mental health. Six domains of CLDQ were assessed: abdominal symptoms, fatigue, systemic symptoms, activity, emotional function and worry.
RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls (96.9 ± 4.5, 86.6 ± 18.4, 90.1 ± 12.5, 89.0 ± 5.7, 87.5 ± 4.3, 95.8 ± 7.1, 88.5 ± 15.9, 88.7 ± 5.2 in SF-36 and 6.7 ± 0.5, 6.1 ± 0.6, 6.3 ± 0.6, 6.5 ± 0.5, 6.3 ± 0.5, 6.8 ± 0.4 in CLDQ), patients with chronic hepatitis B (86.3 ± 11.0, 68.8 ± 21.3, 78.9 ± 14.4, 60.8 ± 10.5, 70.8 ± 8.6, 76.1 ± 12.6, 50.0 ± 22.9, 72.2 ± 10.6 and 5.5 ± 1.0, 4.5 ± 1.0, 5.2 ± 1.1, 5.3 ± 0.9, 4.8 ± 0.9, 4.9 ± 1.0) and cirrhosis (52.8 ± 17.4, 32.8 ± 27.9, 61.6 ± 18.9, 30.2 ± 18.3, 47.9 ± 20.1, 54.0 ± 19.2, 28.9 ± 26.1, 51.1 ± 17.8 and 4.7 ± 1.2, 3.9 ± 1.2, 4.7 ± 1.2, 4.7 ± 1.3, 4.7 ± 1.0, 4.4 ± 1.1) had lower HRQOL on all scales of the SF-36 and CLDQ (P < 0.01 for all). Increasing severity of liver cirrhosis (based on the Child-Pugh score/presence or absence of MHE) was associated with a decrease in most components of SF-36 and CLDQ, especially SF-36.
CONCLUSION: The Chinese version of SF-36 along with CLDQ is a valid and reliable method for testing MHE in patients with liver cirrhosis. Cirrhosis and MHE are associated with decreased HRQOL.