Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026

A Competent Hepatocyte Model Examining Hepatitis B Virus Entry through Sodium Taurocholate Cotransporting Polypeptide as a Therapeutic Target
Published on: May 10, 2022
QTc prolongation in methadone maintenance--the role of HCV infection
Najibulah Gholami1, Lukas Boesch, Luis Falcato
1Arud, Centres of Addiction Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland; n.gholami@arud.ch.
Objectives:
Several studies have reported prolonged QTc intervals in patients under methadone maintenance treatment, including development of torsade-de-pointes arrhythmia and death. It is still not clear why some patients develop critical QTc extensions while others do not.
Methods:
ECG findings in a convenience sample of 210 methadone-maintained heroin-dependent patients, taking HCV-infection status and methadone dosage into account simultaneously by means of a multiple linear regression model with QTc-interval as the dependent variable.
Results:
Prolonged QTc-time is associated with hepatitis C infections (p = 0.005) and higher doses of racemic methadone (p = 0.012).
Conclusion:
Infection with hepatitis C increases the likelihood of critical QTc prolongation in patients in methadone maintenance treatment.
Related Concept Videos
Hepatitis
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Affecting Factors
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Pharmacogenetics of Phase II Enzymes: N-acetyltransferase, Thiopurine S-methyltransferase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu

