Meu SciELO
Serviços Personalizados
Journal
Artigo
Indicadores
Citado por SciELO
Acessos
Links relacionados
Citado por Google
Similares em SciELO
Similares em Google
Compartilhar
Anales del Sistema Sanitario de Navarra
versão impressa ISSN 1137-6627
Resumo
MARTINEZ ECHEVERRIA, A.; RODRIGUEZ GUTIERREZ, C.; ELIZALDE, I. e ZOZAYA, J. M.. Acute hepatitis C virus infection. Anales Sis San Navarra [online]. 2004, vol.27, suppl.2, pp.59-68. ISSN 1137-6627.
Acute hepatitis C virus infection produces clinical and biochemical features that is non-specific and indistinguishable from those caused by other hepatotropic viruses. The specific diagnosis of acute hepatitis C virus infection is based on the detection of serum RNA-HCV through a technique of PCR whose result will be positive after 1-2 weeks of the initial contact with the virus. The anti-bodies against HCV are detected later (after 7-8 weeks on average), and are not useful, as an isolated determination, in distinguishing acute infection from chronic infection or in clearing the virus (spontaneous or following treatment). Fifty-five to eighty-five percent of patients with acute HCV infection do not clear the virus and develop a chronic infection with risk of evolution to cirrhosis and of developing hepatocellular carcinoma. For this reason, the present tendency is to treat with interferon all those patients in whom RNA-HCV remains positive after 3-4 months following diagnosis of acute infection.
Palavras-chave : Acute hepatitis; Clinical manifestations; Diagnosis; Treatment; Interferon.