[Hepatitis C virus infection in patients with hemophilia]

After the introduction of second generation ELISA and confirmatory tests clinically available, it was possible to determine that prevalence of infection with HCV was 98% among hemophiliacs exposed to factor VIII concentrates that weren't submitted to viral inactivation. Liver failure is 4.2 times more probable among patients also infected with HIV. The hepatocellular carcinoma studies show similar findings. They report a rate of 1.4 for every 1,000 hemophiliacs, and almost all patients have antibodies for hepatitis C virus. The studies with hemophiliacs exposed to unsafe blood products for HCV showed a significant increase in mortality from different liver diseases, as compared to control subjects. Mortality rate shows an important increase in the hemophiliacs also infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Combination therapy (ribavirin and interferon) doesn't seem to make a difference in the response rate as compared to patients without hemophilia. In spite of the best efforts to improve the safety of factor VIII concentrates, it has been impossible to eliminate the risk of transmission of other infective agents. That's why it seems that recombinant technology will be the answer in obtaining the concentrates.