Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C: the Benelux Studies

Abstract

In the eighties and early nineties of the last century, acute hepatitis occurred in 5-10% of patients receiving blood transfusions in the USA, and in more than 90% of cases this could not be attributed to hepatitis A or B (“Non-A, Non-B hepatitis”). More than 50% of the hepatitis infections became chronic, and Non-A, Non-B hepatitis led to liver cirrhosis in about 20% of patients, thereby being a serious health burden. In 1989 the hepatitis C virus was discovered as the major cause of this post-transfusion hepatitis, but it was also found in many cases of unknown chronic hepatitis without known blood contacts in the past (sporadic HCV). It is estimated that more than 170 million people are infected with hepatitis C worldwide, leading to more than 280.000 deaths each year due to decompensated liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.