Update on chronic hepatitis C in hemophiliacs.
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.
Franchini
Massimo
M
Servizio di Immunoematologia e Trasfusione, Centro Emofilia, Ospedale Policlinico, via Delle Menegone 1, 37134 Verona, Italy. giorgio.gandini@mail.azosp.vr.it
Capra
Franco
F
Tagliaferri
Annarita
A
Rossetti
Gina
G
De Gironcoli
Marzia
M
Rocca
Paolo
P
Aprili
Giuseppe
G
Gandini
Giorgio
G
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