title: [Clinico-laboratory characteristics of acute viral hepatitis C in parenteral drug addicts].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study clinical and laboratory manifestations of acute viral hepatitis C in parenteral drug addicts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute viral hepatitis C (AVHC) was diagnosed in 114 patients included in the trial by serological evidence and virus RNA determination at polymerase chain reaction. Among the examinees there were 63 addicts and 51 non-addicts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In addicts, AVHC manifests with pain in the liver, anorexia, moderate intoxication, hepatomegalia, abstinence syndrome. At admission most the addicts had a moderate rise in bilirubin concentration with prolonged normalization. 25% of the addicts had ALT < 1400 micromol/l/h, its lowering was slow. In convalescence, the addicts' liver long remained enlarged, concentrations of ALT, alkaline phosphatase, GGT remained high.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VHC runs a moderate course in parenteral drug addicts, shows polymorphic symptomatology, hepatomegalia, high blood levels of ALT. Convalescence is long, hepatic functions recover slowly.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Kozhevnikova
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Roslyĭ
authors.forename: K I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Chuĭkova
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bobkova
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood*; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012367:RNA, Viral; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001663:Bilirubin