Acciones prioritarias para un programa nacional de detección, tratamiento y seguimiento de pacientes con hepatitis C / Priority actions towards a national program for detection, treatment, and monitoring of patients with hepatitis C

Resumen: En el escenario de la salud mexicana, la epidemia por virus de la hepatitis C se encuentra presente junto con sus comorbilidades y mortalidad prematura. Actuar de manera inmediata permitirá una contención de la misma en el corto plazo dada la existencia de herramientas de prevención, diagnóstico y terapias farmacológicas altamente eficaces. La Coalición para el estudio de la hepatitis C en México ha desarrollado una postura donde aprovecha esas medidas de contención y presenta el desarrollo de un programa nacional para la detección, tratamiento oportuno y seguimiento de pacientes con hepatitis C.

Abstract: In the Mexican health scenario, the hepatitis C virus epidemic is present, along with its comorbidities and premature mortality. Acting immediately will allow its containment in short term with the proper implementation of the current available tools for prevention, diagnosis and highly effective pharmacological therapies. The Coalition for the study of hepatitis C in Mexico has developed a position paper that takes advantage of these containment measures and presents the development of a National program for the detection, timely treatment and follow-up of patients with hepatitis C.

Chronic hepatitis C treatment response to combination therapy: Experience of RIPAS Hospital

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection is an important cause of chronic and end stage liver disease. Treatment response has improved with combination therapy. We review our experience with combination therapy in CHC patients. Materials and Methods: All patients who had completed at least one course of combination therapy (> 6 months) and had longer than 6 months of follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Results: There were 28 (22 males, mean age 40.7 ± 9.9 years old) patients who completed one course of treatment. Intravenous drug use (IDU) accounted for 61% of the aetiology. The end of treatment biochemical response was 92.6%. The overall sustained viral response (SVR) was 64.3%. Comparing IDU to the others (non-IDU), there was no difference in treatment SVR (64.7% vs. 63.6%, p = 0.954). Responders had significantly higher pretreatment serum alanine aminotransferase (p = 0.018). Overall treatment side effects were observed in 64% (flu-like symptoms 58.3%, haematological 50% and depressive mood 8%). Conclusions: Our response rates are comparable to published data. There was no difference in treatment response rate between the IDU and non-IDU. CHC infected IDU should be offered treatment.

To study the variation of histological activity indices in chronic B hepatitis patients treated by limivudine

44 patients of chronic B hepatitis are divided into two groups of 22 patients. The one is treated with lamivudine (Jefflix) 100 mg daily in 12 months continuously and the other with usual vitamin and liver tonics. Results showed in 72.7% patients of lamivudine group, the indices of histological activities were improved (through Knodell score), while in controlled group – 31.8% and over the half of this group these indices worsened. Thus, lamivudine has got good effect