Injecting drug users with chronic hepatitis C: Should they be offered antiviral therapy?

Addiction

Volumn 103, Issue 9, 2008, Pages 1412-1413

  Foster, Graham R ^a  

^a ROYAL LONDON HOSPITAL   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Anti viral; Compliance; Hepatitis C; Injecting drug users; Sustained virological response; Treatment

Indexed keywords

ANTIVIRUS AGENT; ILLICIT DRUG; PEGINTERFERON; RIBAVIRIN;

ANEMIA; DEPRESSION; EDITORIAL; FLU LIKE SYNDROME; HEALTH CARE ACCESS; HEALTH CARE DELIVERY; HEALTH CARE QUALITY; HEPATITIS C; HIGH RISK POPULATION; HUMAN; INTRAVENOUS DRUG ABUSE; IRRITABILITY; LEUKOCYTE; LIFESTYLE; LIVER CANCER; LIVER CIRRHOSIS; PATIENT COMPLIANCE; PSYCHOSIS; REINFECTION; SIDE EFFECT; THROMBOCYTE; TREATMENT RESPONSE; VIRUS TRANSMISSION;

ANTIVIRAL AGENTS; ATTITUDE OF HEALTH PERSONNEL; HEPATITIS C, CHRONIC; HUMANS; NEEDLE SHARING;

EID: 49349105438     PISSN: 09652140     EISSN: 13600443     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02214.x     Document Type: Editorial

References (11)

1. Diamantis I., Bassetti S., Erb P., Ladewig D., Gyr K., Battegay M. High prevalence and coinfection rate of hepatitis G and C infections in intravenous drug addicts. J Hepatol 1997 26:794 7.
2. Poynard T., Bedossa P., Opolon P. Natural history of liver fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Lancet 1997 349:825 32.
3. D'Souza R., Glynn M. J., Ushiro-Lumb I., Feakins R., Domizio P. Mears L. et al. Prevalence of hepatitis C-related cirrhosis in elderly Asian patients infected in childhood. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2005 3:910 17.
4. Fattovich G., Giustina G., Degos F., Tremolada F., Diodati G. Almasio P. et al. Morbidity and mortality in compensated cirrhosis type C: a retrospective follow-up study of 384 patients [see Comments Gastroenterology 1997 112:463 72.
5. D'Souza R., Foster G. R. Diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C. J R Soc Med 2004 97:223 5.
6. Foster G. R., Fried M. W., Hadziyannis S. J., Messinger D., Freivogel K., Weiland O. Prediction of sustained virological response in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) and ribavirin. Scand J Gastroenterol 2007 42:247 55.
7. Booth J. C., O'Grady J., Neuberger J. Clinical guidelines on the management of hepatitis C. Gut 2001 49:11 21.
8. Sullivan S. D., Jensen D. M., Bernstein D. E., Hassanein T. I., Foster G. R., Lee S. S. et al. Cost-effectiveness of combination peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavirin compared with interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Am J Gastroenterol 2004 99:1490 6.
9. Edlin B. R., Seal K. H., Lorvick J., Kral A. H., Ciccarone D. H., Moore L. D. et al. Is it justifiable to withhold treatment for hepatitis C from illicit-drug users? N Engl J Med 2001 345:211 15.
10. Grebely J., Raffa J. D., Meagher C., Duncan F., Genoway K. A., Khara M. et al. Directly observed therapy for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection in current and former injection drug users. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2007 22:1519 25.
11. Backmund M., Meyer K., Von Zielonka M., Eichenlaub D. Treatment of hepatitis C infection in injection drug users. Hepatology 2001 34:188 93.