Why and How to Treat Chronic Hepatitis C
Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is a major health problem worldwide, with approximately 200 million affected individuals and a significant rate of progression to end-stage cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). If hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is left untreated in the population, then the numbe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2000-01-01
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| Series: | Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2000/787892 |
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| author | Stephanos J Hadziyannis |
| author_facet | Stephanos J Hadziyannis |
| author_sort | Stephanos J Hadziyannis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Chronic hepatitis
C (CHC) is a major health problem worldwide, with approximately
200 million affected individuals and a significant rate of
progression to end-stage cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma
(HCC). If hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is left untreated in
the population, then the number of liver-related deaths will soon
double and the need for liver transplantation may increase to five
times that seen today. Available therapies for CHC are restricted
to interferon alpha (IFN-α ) monotherapy and to the combination
of IFN-α and ribavirin. Despite their high cost and side effects,
both of these therapies have proved to be cost effective, particularly
combination therapy. IFN-α monotherapy for one year can
induce sustained response (SR) rates of approximately 10% in naive
patients infected with HCV genotype 1, and above 50% in
those infected with other genotypes. Combination therapy can
double or even triple the rate of SR in genotype 1 infections and
may further increase the SR rate in the other HCV genotypes.
Combination therapy has also been proven to be effective in approximately
50% of relapsed responders to IFN-α monotherapy. In
clinical practice, the decision to treat should be individualized and
tailored on the basis of several virus- and host-related factors, particularly
the grade and stage of liver disease, HCV genotype and
levels of viremia. Appropriate monitoring of therapy by careful
clinical evaluation, liver biochemistry and serumHCVRNAtesting
is mandatory. IFN-α therapy may also prove to be effective in
reducing the rate of HCC development in CHC regardless of
whether a virological response is achieved, but this remains to be
established. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-576510f8833c4279be93907a5f0b0814 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0835-7900 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2000-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology |
| spelling | doaj-art-576510f8833c4279be93907a5f0b08142025-02-03T01:20:04ZengWileyCanadian Journal of Gastroenterology0835-79002000-01-0114Suppl B45B48B10.1155/2000/787892Why and How to Treat Chronic Hepatitis CStephanos J Hadziyannis0Academic Department of Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, GreeceChronic hepatitis C (CHC) is a major health problem worldwide, with approximately 200 million affected individuals and a significant rate of progression to end-stage cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). If hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is left untreated in the population, then the number of liver-related deaths will soon double and the need for liver transplantation may increase to five times that seen today. Available therapies for CHC are restricted to interferon alpha (IFN-α ) monotherapy and to the combination of IFN-α and ribavirin. Despite their high cost and side effects, both of these therapies have proved to be cost effective, particularly combination therapy. IFN-α monotherapy for one year can induce sustained response (SR) rates of approximately 10% in naive patients infected with HCV genotype 1, and above 50% in those infected with other genotypes. Combination therapy can double or even triple the rate of SR in genotype 1 infections and may further increase the SR rate in the other HCV genotypes. Combination therapy has also been proven to be effective in approximately 50% of relapsed responders to IFN-α monotherapy. In clinical practice, the decision to treat should be individualized and tailored on the basis of several virus- and host-related factors, particularly the grade and stage of liver disease, HCV genotype and levels of viremia. Appropriate monitoring of therapy by careful clinical evaluation, liver biochemistry and serumHCVRNAtesting is mandatory. IFN-α therapy may also prove to be effective in reducing the rate of HCC development in CHC regardless of whether a virological response is achieved, but this remains to be established.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2000/787892 |
| spellingShingle | Stephanos J Hadziyannis Why and How to Treat Chronic Hepatitis C Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology |
| title | Why and How to Treat Chronic Hepatitis C |
| title_full | Why and How to Treat Chronic Hepatitis C |
| title_fullStr | Why and How to Treat Chronic Hepatitis C |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why and How to Treat Chronic Hepatitis C |
| title_short | Why and How to Treat Chronic Hepatitis C |
| title_sort | why and how to treat chronic hepatitis c |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2000/787892 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stephanosjhadziyannis whyandhowtotreatchronichepatitisc |