[Liver damage caused by hepatitis C viral infection and ethyl alcohol consumption]

Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) is a complex disease, most commonly chronicle (80-85%). The aim of this research was to determinate the level of the liver damage in the patients cansed by HCV in conjunction with consuming ethyl alcohol.

The research included 15 patients with chronic HCV infection supported by the misuse of ethyl alcohol, as well. The diagnosis of C infection hepatitis was proved using the ELISA test and PCR method.

The results of the study showed the liver damage by both HCV infection and ethyl alcohol, which was verified by the presence of biochemical changes and patohystological processing of the patients (liver biopsy and prosection). Patohystological changes were at the level of liver cirrhosis and carcinoma (2 patients). There was a signficant difference between the two subgroups (p < 0.001) regarding the examined values gamma-GT, PLT and PTV. The basic therapeutic procedure was to introduce this category of patients into alcohol abstinence, and, in a few patients, to apply the antivirus therapy, as well.

Based on the number of the examined patients (n = 15), we could conclude that a prolonged ethyl alcohol misuse with the presence of HCV infection was in a correlation with the liver disease progression.