Need we say more?
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ADVANCES IN LIVER DISEASE: HEPATITIS-C
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Volume 17 Issue 4 Page 431 - April 2002
Hepatitis C advances in antiviral therapy:
What is accepted treatment
now?
by John G Mchutchison
Abstract:
The vast number of patients with hepatitis C represent a huge
medical and economic burden. While 20-30 of these patients progress and
develop advanced liver disease, the majority do not. Thus, it is crucial to
identify patients suitable for treatment and those who may benefit most from
therapy.
Anti-viral therapy is recommended for those patients with chronic
hepatitis C who also have elevated liver tests, detectable hepatitis C virus
ribonucleic acid and significant inflammation and/or fibrosis on liver
biopsy. Currently, the most effective initial therapy is the combination of
interferon plus ribavirin. The...
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Liver Damage Prevalent in Asymptomatic Hepatitis C Sufferers
Hepatitis C is histologically active and progressive in up to 40% of
asymptomatic persons infected with the virus, according to a study reported
in the Dec. 17th issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Until now, the prevalence of significant liver disease in persons with
asymptomatic hepatitis C virus had been unclear. Knowing the extent to which
silent liver damage exists in HCV-infected people who exhibit no symptoms
could help doctors determine how aggressive they need to be when examining
healthy people for the infection.
The researchers studied 4,820 apparently healthy Telecom Italy employees or
their relatives who underwent screening for cardiovascular risk factors. Of
those, 85 tested positive for HCV in their blood.
About half of those had normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, a
substance that increases in people with liver disease. The rest had elevated
ALT levels.
Abnormalities were present on liver biopsy in about 20% of persons with
normal ALT levels and about 60% of persons with elevated ALT levels.
The researchers observed that people who are older and who have elevated ALT
levels are more likely to have liver damage than are those who are younger
or who have normal ALT levels.|||
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