Rational approach to diagnostics and treatment of chronic viral hepatitis C
Virus of hepatitis C is the only virus of Hepadnovirus line in the Flaviviridae family which includes RNA. It was found in 199o as a etiologic agent of posttransfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis C is the main etiologic factor of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In 1999 in Russia the morbidity of hepatitis C was 19,3 on 100 thousand of population. The course of hepatitis is often asymptomatic. In 20-30% of patients with chronic infection it transforms in cirrhosis during the 20 years. The article includes the epidemiology and pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C and modem algorithms of its diagnostics and treatment.

Keywords: pegylated interferon alpha, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver fibrosis, chronic hepatitis C, antiviral therapy