title: [Hepatitis C and alcohol, which is the limit?].
abstract: Chronic hepatitis C leads to cirrhosis in 20 to 30%. Hepatocellular carcinoma can develop in 1 to 5%. This natural course is modified by several factors including age, sex and alcohol. This last one is an important risk factor for fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Data about high alcohol consumption show an increased risk whereas the risk associated with light to moderate consumption of alcohol remains unclear. Treatment of chronic hepatitis C with pegylated interferon and ribavirine allows a viral response in 50 to 80%. Factors decreasing this response rate are high viremia, genotype 1 and 4, sex and alcohol. Again, at which limit alcohol consumption is becoming deleterious is not well known. According to epidemiological studies alcohol consumption higher than 40 to 50 g/day should be avoided and a 6 months abstinence period before antiviral therapy should be recommended. Is this enough? More studies are needed to answer these questions.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lampo
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malinverni
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000075202:Contraindications; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a