Gastroenterol Clin Biol. 2009 Jun 19. [Epub ahead of print]
[Hepatitis C: The recovery.]

[Article in French]

Marcellin P.
Inserm U773 CRB3, service d'hépatologie, université de Paris-7, hôpital Beaujon,
100, boulevard du Général-Leclerc, 92110 Clichy, France.

After the discovery of the hepatitis B virus in 1968 and of the hepatitis A
virus in 1973, many years were needed to identify the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in
1989. The discovery of HCV was a revolution for hepatology because of the
magnitude of the global burden related to HCV infection, a major cause of
cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Therapy of hepatitis C has rapidly
evolved with currently nearly 60% of sustained virological response with the
combination of pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. In patients with sustained
virological response, viral eradication, corresponding to the cure of infection,
and regression of histological liver lesions have been demonstrated. Recently,
the availability of in vitro culture systems allowed to characterize viral
enzymes, potential therapeutic targets. A novel therapeutic era is open with the
protease and polymerase inhibitors, used as a first step in association with
pegylated interferon and ribavirin,
both to increase efficacy and decrease the risk of resistance. Thanks to these
new molecules with a potent antiviral activity, one can reasonnably predict a
rapid improvement of treatments becoming more efficient and also better
tolerated with the progressive replacement of interferon and ribavirin by
combinations of these virus specific enzyme inhibitors.
PMID: 19541439 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]