Review article
Impact of host characteristics on liver fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C
I. Gregurević
A. Vince
I. Kurelac
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus infection is an important global public health problem with 200 million people suffering from chronic disease worldwide. The clinical course of chronic hepatitis C is heterogeneous. The most important predictor of long-term diseases outcome is the dynamics of liver fibrosis progression which leads to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Natural course of chronic infection is significantly determined by the characteristics of the host. Male sex, older age at the disease onset, Caucasian race, host's genetic polymorphism for HLA, interleukins, chemokines, coagulation factors, growth factors, tissue metalloproteinases as well as iron overload and liver steatosis represent host factors associated with unfavorable disease outcome. Recognition and analysis of these factors is important for the early identification of rapid progressors and treatment optimization of these patients.
Keywords
Chronic hepatitis C; liver cirrhosis; fibrogenesis; genetic factors
Hrčak ID:
12696
URI
Publication date:
5.5.2006.
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