Related Experiment Videos
Chronic hepatitis in haemophilia
1Department of Haematology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK.
Chronic hepatitis affects almost all haemophiliacs treated with non-virally inactivated clotting factor concentrates. The virus responsible is hepatitis C (HCV) and most patients have non-neutralising antibodies with circulating virus. Although the majority also have evidence of past infection with hepatitis B, less than 5% are chronic carriers of HBsAg. Chronic hepatitis C can be associated with severe and progressive liver disease but the development of complications is slow. Treatment with recombinant interferon alpha given subcutaneously normalises the liver function in 50% of patients, but 50% of responders relapse on stopping treatment. Liver transplantation is successful in patients with advanced liver disease and it offers the added advantage of phenotypic cure of the haemophilic state.
Chronic hepatitis affects almost all haemophiliacs treated with non-virally inactivated clotting factor concentrates. The virus responsible is hepatitis C (HCV) and most patients have non-neutralising antibodies with circulating virus. Although the majority also have evidence of past infection with hepatitis B, less than 5% are chronic carriers of HBsAg. Chronic hepatitis C can be associated with severe and progressive liver disease but the development of complications is slow. Treatment with recombinant interferon alpha given subcutaneously normalises the liver function in 50% of patients, but 50% of responders relapse on stopping treatment. Liver transplantation is successful in patients with advanced liver disease and it offers the added advantage of phenotypic cure of the haemophilic state.