[Characteristics of Acute Hepatitis C]

Acute hepatitis C most frequently develops after parenteral infection of hepatitis C virus. The disease often develops into chronic infection, although it can resolve spontaneously. Interferon alpha (INF-α) is used in therapy, but still without precise treatment recommendations.

The aim was to present characteristics of patients with acute hepatitis C and to assess effectiveness of using recombinant INF-α in therapy.

Total of 55 patients with acute hepatitis C, hospitalized at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Belgrade from January 2005 to December 2012 were enrolled in this study. Forty-one patients were under follow-up over six months for evaluation of the development of the disease into a chronic infection and effectiveness of treatment with INF-α.

Eighty percent of patients were male of average age 29.6 ± 8.6 years; in 61.8% patients intravenous drug abuse was determined as risk factor. Thirty patients (54.1%) had no symptoms and 38.2% were icteric. Acute hepatitis C spontaneously resolved in 33.3% patients, while in the treated group 79.6% of patients completely recovered (p = 0.006).Treatment success was 92.9% in the group of patients who started with treatment before the 45th day of disease, while in the patients who started treatment later the success rated 58.3% (p = 0.037).

Acute hepatitis C is most common in young male adults infected via injection drug abuse. The use of INF-α is effective in the treatment of the disease, and success of the treatment is more probable if treatment is started before the 45th day.