Abstract
About 2.4 million people die each year worldwide as a result of chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV is a worldwide problem, more than 170 million people are infected with the virus worldwide, corresponding to about 3% of the population. Some common signs for patients chronically infected with HCV are: increased liver enzyme activity and chronic liver diseases, such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The present study consists of a literature review, of a qualitative nature which aims to approach the main clinical and epidemiological aspects of the chronic infection caused by the HCV. HCV detection is carried out by screening for antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and screening for HCV-RNA through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The current detection methods are not viable for all medical centers and outpatient clinics, making it necessary to develop new detection methods, since the technological apparatus for screening HCV-RNA, as well as ELISA, is a distant reality for the vast majority of the global health system. The development of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) increased the viral response, reaching up to 92.7% success rate. It is necessary to monitor post-treatment patients, as well as to treat patients who are still affected by the virus worldwide, to ensure that there is no progression of liver fibrosis in cirrhosis, nor the development of HCC. Additionally, vigilance should be maintained for possible mutations and the emergence of viral resistance to DAAs.
Highlights
2.4 million people die each year worldwide as a result of chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) (Ly et al, 2012)
Main pathway of HCV transmission is through direct contact with blood, contaminated syringes or non-disposable glass syringes and blood transfusions, which are some of the important factors that contributed to the cosmopolitan distribution of the virus (Colvin, 2010)
The Center for Contagious Diseases estimates that people that were born between 1945-1969 of the American population, which corresponds to 27% of the entire population, represent 75% of all cases of chronic hepatitis in the country, and 73% of all cases of mortality caused by HCV, presenting a higher risk of developing more severe stages of hepatic fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Colvin, 2010)
Summary
2.4 million people die each year worldwide as a result of chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) (Ly et al, 2012). In the Northeast, the prevalence of HCV-infected individuals is estimated at around 1% in adults aged 20-69 years, corresponding to more than 50 thousand people potentially infected in this region (Pereira et al, 2013). The Center for Contagious Diseases estimates that people that were born between 1945-1969 of the American population, which corresponds to 27% of the entire population, represent 75% of all cases of chronic hepatitis in the country, and 73% of all cases of mortality caused by HCV, presenting a higher risk of developing more severe stages of hepatic fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Colvin, 2010). O objetivo do presente estudo é abordar os principais aspectos clínicos e epidemiológicos da infecção crônica pelo VHC
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