RESUMEN
Acute infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) usually runs a mild or asymptomatic course and therefore often goes undiagnosed. In the individual patient, acute hepatitis C (AHC) cannot clinically be distinguished from other forms of viral hepatitis. The diagnosis is based on rising serum alanine aminotransferase level, anti-HCV IgG seroconversion and detection of HCV-RNA in serum. In recent years there has been an increase in our understanding of the natural course of AHC, and progress has been made in its treatment. In this article we describe the clinical manifestations and diagnosis of AHC and review recent developments in its treatment.
Asunto(s)
Hepatitis C , Infecciones Oportunistas Relacionadas con el SIDA/complicaciones , Infecciones Oportunistas Relacionadas con el SIDA/tratamiento farmacológico , Enfermedad Aguda , Antivirales/uso terapéutico , Quimioterapia Combinada , Hepatitis C/complicaciones , Hepatitis C/diagnóstico , Hepatitis C/tratamiento farmacológico , Humanos , Interferón alfa-2 , Interferón-alfa/uso terapéutico , Polietilenglicoles/uso terapéutico , Proteínas Recombinantes , Ribavirina/uso terapéutico , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
Coinfection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is frequent. While it is still unclear whether HCV affects the course of HIV infection, there is ample evidence that concurrent HIV infection accelerates the progression of fibrosis and liver-related morbidity and mortality in HCV-infected patients. The treatment of HCV infection in patients with HIV/HCV coinfection has improved during the last few years, but the outcome appears to be poorer than the outcome in HCV monoinfected patients. In this article the epidemiological and clinical aspects of HCV/HIV coinfection are described, and the four major treatment trials are reviewed.