Medicina Fluminensis, Vol. 43. No. 2., 2007.
Review article
MOLECULAR DIAGNOSIS OF HEPATITIS C INFECTION
Blaženka Grahovac
; Laboratory for molecular diagnostic, School of medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Ita Hadžisejdić
; Laboratory for molecular diagnostic, School of medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The World Health Organization recognized hepatitis C (HCV) as a global health problem estimated that in 1999, over 170 million people were chronically infected with HCV. HCV is leading cause of end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. The discovery of
hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 1989 using molecular biology methods has led to the rapid evolution of the field of HCV diagnostics. Diagnostic tests for HCV can be divided into serological assays that detect antibody to HCV and molecular assays that detect, quantify and characterize HCV-RNA genome within infected patient. Qualitative molecular nucleic acid tests are used for
confirmation of HCV infection and for screening blood donation. Quantitative HCV-RNA tests provide prognostic information for monitoring the response to antiviral therapy. HCV is heterogeneous virus with six distinct genotypes and numerous subtypes. HCV genotype tests are important clinically because they predict most accurately the chance of antiviral response and are routinely used for selecting treatment regimens regarding the duration of interferon therapy and ribavirin dosage.
Keywords
hepatitis C virus (HCV); HCV-RNA; HCV genotypes; molecular diagnostics
Hrčak ID:
22565
URI
Publication date:
25.6.2007.
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