title: Update on chronic hepatitis C in hemophiliacs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients affected by hereditary bleeding disorders and treated with non-virus inactivated clotting factor concentrates during the 1970s.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this review, we briefly report the present knowledge about HCV infection in hemophilic patients. The natural course of hepatitis C virus infection in hemophiliacs is described, by analyzing the prevalence of HCV infection, the genotype distribution and the risk factors involved in the progression of chronic hepatitis into severe liver disease such as cirrhosis, liver decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We focus on the most important advances in the treatment of hepatitis C in hemophiliacs.
authors: Servizio di Immunoematologia e Trasfusione, Centro Emofilia, Ospedale Policlinico, via Delle Menegone 1, 37134 Verona, Italy. giorgio.gandini@mail.azosp.vr.it
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Franchini
authors: Franco
authors: F
authors: Capra
authors: Annarita
authors: A
authors: Tagliaferri
authors: Gina
authors: G
authors: Rossetti
authors: Marzia
authors: M
authors: De Gironcoli
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Rocca
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Aprili
authors: Giorgio
authors: G
authors: Gandini
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D018450:Disease Progression; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors