Background: Interferon-alpha (IFN(alpha))-associated mood disorder is a major complication of treatment for chronic hepatitis C.
Method: The authors report on three patients infected with chronic hepatitis C showing severe depressive symptoms during or after IFN(alpha) treatment. Because patients had lowered tryptophan blood levels and did not response to antidepressants, they received tryptophan up to a dosage of 1,000 mg/day as mono- or add-on treatment.
Results: Tryptophan, used as augmentation or monotherapeutic treatment, led to a significant improvement of depressive symptoms in all three patients.
Conclusion: A tryptophan deficit seems to be involved in the pathophysiology of persistent mood changes during and after IFN(alpha) treatment.