title: Clinical evolution of HCV-related chronic hepatitis.
abstract: Evolution of HCV positive chronic hepatitis to cirrhosis has been reported to occur in about 30% of patients after five years of follow-up. In contrast, evolution of cirrhosis to decompensation and liver failure is slow, with a survival rate at 5 and 10 years of 91% and 79%, respectively. These findings support the hypothesis that histologic cirrhosis and clinical cirrhosis are different facets of the same disease, the latter developing after a long period of time and being related not only to liver disease per se, but also to other factors only partially identified. During this long-term evolution, extrahepatic manifestations may occur due to the formation of antigen-antibody immunocomplexes, which may eventually lead to death due to renal or cardiac complications.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Medica Generale e Terapia Medica dell'Università di Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Realdi
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dore
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mura
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giustina
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fattovich
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D018450:Disease Progression; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis