ՔՐՈՆԻԿ ՎԻՐՈՒՍԱՅԻՆ C ՀԵՊԱՏԻՏ. ՀԱԿԱՎԻՐՈՒՍԱՅԻՆ ԲՈՒԺՄԱՆ ՓՈՒԼԵՐԸ (ՎԵՐԼՈՒԾՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ)

Abstract

All over the world, liver diseases occupy a significant place among the causes of disability and mortality, particularly, in patients with chronic liver lesions, which are common in people of working age. Chronic hepatitis C has a special place among liver diseases. A distinctive feature of chronic HCV infection is its long-term latent course due to which it remains unrecognized for a long time. At the same time, it gradually progresses with further development of liver cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma. WHO estimates that about 290,000 people died from hepatitis C in 2019, mostly as a result of cirrhosis of the liver or hepatocellular carcinoma. In the 90s of the twentieth century, recombinant interferons were used in mono mode, dosages were selected, treatment periods were increased, and the significance of HCV genotypes and viral load was established in predicting the results and duration of treatment. In the late XX – early XXI centuries, pegylated interferons (PIFN-α-2a and PIFN-α-2b) began to be introduced into clinical practice. The use of these drugs in combination with ribavirin made it possible to make a qualitative breakthrough in the treatment of chronic HCV infection. The WHO updated guidelines released in 2018 recommend therapy based on pangenotypic direct-acting antiviral drugs, which guarantees treatment for almost all patients with chronic hepatitis C. It is important that treatment be initiated before the patient develops liver cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma.