[Clinico-laboratory characteristics of acute viral hepatitis C in parenteral drug addicts].

AIM: To study clinical and laboratory manifestations of acute viral hepatitis C in parenteral drug addicts.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Acute viral hepatitis C (AVHC) was diagnosed in 114 patients included in the trial by serological evidence and virus RNA determination at polymerase chain reaction. Among the examinees there were 63 addicts and 51 non-addicts.

RESULTS

In addicts, AVHC manifests with pain in the liver, anorexia, moderate intoxication, hepatomegalia, abstinence syndrome. At admission most the addicts had a moderate rise in bilirubin concentration with prolonged normalization. 25% of the addicts had ALT < 1400 micromol/l/h, its lowering was slow. In convalescence, the addicts' liver long remained enlarged, concentrations of ALT, alkaline phosphatase, GGT remained high.

CONCLUSION

VHC runs a moderate course in parenteral drug addicts, shows polymorphic symptomatology, hepatomegalia, high blood levels of ALT. Convalescence is long, hepatic functions recover slowly.