Rt. Yavorski et al., RECURRENT CLINICAL EXACERBATIONS OF LIVER-DISEASE DURING THE COURSE OF INFECTION WITH HEPATITIS-C VIRUS, The American journal of gastroenterology, 89(8), 1994, pp. 1235-1237
Symptomatic clinical relapses during the course of chronic hepatitis C
virus (HCV) infection are uncommon. Furthermore, acute liver dysfunct
ion with elevated bilirubin during alpha-interferon therapy without ot
her apparent coexisting diagnoses is rare. The case of a 31-yr-old man
with three clinical exacerbations of HCV infection over an 18-month p
eriod is described. The third episode was characterized by rising seru
m aminotransferase levels on alpha-interferon therapy. The precise cau
se of this patient's flares is unknown. An immunologically mediated cl
earance of the hepatitis C virus, mutation of HCV, or infection with d
ifferent HCV viral strains are the leading possibilities.