COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS WITH RELAPSE OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS C

Background. The diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is established late, often at the stage of advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver. In the group at risk of developing severe complications are patients who have not responded to antiviral therapy (AT). Objective – to establish the features of clinical and laboratory manifestations of CHC in patients who did not respond to interferon treatment. Material and methods. A comparative evaluation of epidemiological, clinical data, laboratory and instrumental studies was performed in 64 patients with CHC who did not respond to AT (group 1) and 39 patients with CHC who did not receive AT (group 2). Results. In the group of patients who did not receive AT compared to the group of patients treated with interferons, the following signs were more pronounced and more frequent: decrease in the protein-synthetic function of the liver, hypocoagulation, intrahepatic cholestasis syndrome (p<0,05). In the group of patients who received AT with interferon, despite the non-effect, the activity of the indicator enzymes was 2 times lower (P <0,05) than in the 2-nd group, and the ultrasound indices indicated less pronounced indirect signs of fibrosis in the liver (echogenicity, diffuse-heterogeneous echostructure, depletion and deformation of the vascular pattern, portal hypertension). Conclusion. AT, conducted by interferon preparations, despite the absence of sustained virological response, leads to a decrease in the activity of the cytolytic syndrome and inhibiting the progression of fibrosis in the liver.