Open AccessEfficiency of a combined peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavarin therapy in intravenous opiate substances abusers with chronic hepatitis C
Author(s) -
Maja Jovanović,
Ljiljana Konstantinović,
Velimir Kostić,
Miodrag Vrbić,
Lidija Popović
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
vojnosanitetski pregled
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.123
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 2406-0720
pISSN - 0042-8450
DOI - 10.2298/vsp0910791j
Subject(s) - medicine , ribavirin , opiate , gastroenterology , hepatitis c , genotype , liver disease , hepatitis c virus , incidence (geometry) , immunology , virus , biochemistry , chemistry , receptor , physics , optics , gene
The most important ethiology factor of chronic liver disease that progresses into terminal insufficiency is hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Intravenous (iv) drug abuse is the main cause for spreading HCV. Thus the therapy for such patients is of extreme importance in reducing the incidence of the disease. The aim of the study was to establish efficacy of a combined therapy with peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavirin in iv opiate substances abusers having chronic HCV infection in relation to sex, age, genotype and level of fibrosis and duration of HCV infection before the treatment.