[Therapy of acute hepatitis C infection].
BACKGROUND
Hepatitis C viral infection is a major cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The progression of acute to chronic infection occurs in 50-90% of cases. There is no standard therapy for acute HCV infection. Comparative studies are required to verify the optimal doses, dosage schedules and the treatment duration, and to establish the optimal treatment for acute hepatitis C. Recent reports have demonstrated that early application of interferon alpha was a treatment of choice for acute HCV infection. The addition of ribavirinin in the treatment of acute HCV infection, and HCV genotype, did not improve the end-of-treatment responses. It is important to consider the treatment of acute HCV infection before it progresses to chronic state.


METHODS
Beneficial effect of interferon therapy in a patient with acute hepatitis C is presented. Early treatment with 3 MIU interferon alpha, three times a week, within six-months, resulted in the normal serum aminotransferases, and good virological response in our patient.


CONCLUSIONS
Interferon therapy significantly increased the probability of obtaining normal serum aminotransferases and undetectable HCV RNA, following acute HCV infection.
Dokić
Milomir
M
Vojnomedicinska akademija, Klinika za infektivne i tropske bolesti, Beograd.
Begović
Vesna
V
D000208:Acute Disease; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin