title: Use of antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The presence of background HCV infection cannot be overestimated in view of the prevalence of chronic hepatitis C and the risk of adverse outcomes of this disease. Purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the combined use of antiviral therapy (Roferon + Vero-Ribavirin) and resort factors in patients with chronic hepatitis C in the phase of replication.
  
  
  METHODS
  We observed 48 patients with chronic hepatitis C; the minimum level of activity of the process defined the phase of replication. Markers of HCV infection were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (a-HCV and HCV-Ig M). HCV RNA was determined twice by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Genotyping of hepatitis C virus was performed. Biochemical blood analysis and the study of HCV infection markers were carried out four times. Results of therapy were assessed immediately after the end of the resort (spa) treatment, then at 3, 6 and 12 months after starting treatment. At 12 months after starting treatment, all the observed patients had persistent clinical and biochemical remission. Elimination of the virus from the blood was noted in 56% of the control group and 74% of patients in the study group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For patients with moderately active HCV, the replication phase was characterized by asthenic-vegetative syndrome (100% of patients) with severe depression (22.92%), pain (77.08%) and dyspeptic syndrome (33.33%), moderate hypertransferaseemia (100%), slightly pronounced cholestasis (33% of patients), and signs of mesenchymal-inflammatory response.
authors.affiliation: Ukrainian scientific research institute of medical rehabilitation and curortology Ministry of Health Ukraine, Odessa, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dragomiretskaya
authors.affiliation: Ukrainian scientific research institute of medical rehabilitation and curortology Ministry of Health Ukraine, Odessa, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Izha
authors.affiliation: Ukrainian scientific research institute of medical rehabilitation and curortology Ministry of Health Ukraine, Odessa, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Nikolay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kalinichenko
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Culture, Health and Tourism, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Mirosława
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szark-Eckardt
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Culture, Health and Tourism, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klimczyk
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Culture, Health and Tourism, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Mirosława
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cieślicka
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Culture, Health and Tourism, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Radosław
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Muszkieta
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Culture, Health and Tourism, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Prusik
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Culture, Health and Tourism, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Napierała
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Culture, Health and Tourism, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Żukowska
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Culture, Health and Tourism, Kazimierz Wielki University, ul. Ogińskiego 16, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, Poland, Tel.: + 48 601 92 55 95.
authors.forename: Walery
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zukow
keywords: Antiviral therapy; chronic hepatitis C; health resort factors