MODES OF TRANSMISSION AND PROGNOSIS IN CH RONIC HEPATITIS-C

The importance ot hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection as a cause ot chro nic liver disease has become clear with the introduction of serologic detection methods. On the basis of epidemiologic evidence the parenter al way of infection has been considered to be the most important one. However, the epidemiologic data regarding the significant route of inf ection are still limited. To study the ways of HCV-infection and their possible influence on the course of the disease, 73 patients with chr onic hepatitis C infection were examined. Setting was the out-patient department of Gastroenterology of our University Hospital. Patients hi story, completed by a questionnaire, laboratory findings and liver his tology were analysed. The study indicated that in 50% of the patients transmission had occurred through parenteral infection, the other 50% had been infected through the non-parenteral (sporadic) way. The study revealed further that the way of infection has an influence on the pr ogression of liver disease with the patients infected sporadically sho wing histologically more serious hepatic changes. In 50 patients HCV-i nfection was the only cause of their chronic liver disease, in 23 pati ents additional pathogenic factors were detected. These 23 patients sh owed a rapid progress of the disease. Therefore, HCV-infection cannot be considered any longer as a disease that is primarily transmitted pa renterally. Due to the large number of sporadic infections, HCV-infect ion will continue to be of great epidemiologic importance even after t he effective elimination of contaminated blood products.