[Clinico-laboratory characteristics of acute viral hepatitis C in parenteral drug addicts].
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.
Kozhevnikova
G M
GM
Roslyĭ
I M
IM
Chuĭkova
K I
KI
Bobkova
M R
MR
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*
D015415:Biomarkers; D012367:RNA, Viral; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001663:Bilirubin