Afro-Egypt J Infect Endem Dis 2011 Dec ;1(2):A5

 

HCV Update

 

Baddar R

 

Ain Shams University, Egypt

 

                              

 

ABSTRACT

HCV is a major public health problem in Egypt . HCV is responsible for 20% of acute hepatitis , 70 % of chronic liver diseases ,60 % of HCC and 30% of liver transplantation. The predictors of response to combined treatment by interferon and ribavirin are: 1- genotype ; 2 and 3 have better response ,2- age ; younger patients have better response , 3- degree of fibrosis ; minimal liver damage seen histologically has good response ,4-sex ; females are more responders , 5- body mass index ; thin patients are good responders , 6- viral load ; HCV RNA less than 2 000000 iu/ml has better response,7- smokers have bad response , 8- low level of GGT has good response , 9- alcoholics have bad response ,10- co-infections with HIV and HBV have bad response, 11- Interleukin 28B polymorphism predicts response to interferon ,12- patients with insulin resistant have poor response and 13- blacks with genotype 1 have poor response. HCV causes both hypo and hyper thyroidism and 7.3-15 % of patients treated by interferon have thyroid dysfunction.