[Genetic diagnosis of hepatitis C virus infection]

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus, a small enveloped RNA member of Flaviviridae, is the major causative agent of non-A, non-B hepatitis. The discovery and genetic characterization of HCV is described. Modern genetic procedures and methods involved in the studies of HCV biology, genetic heterogenity and diagnostics of HCV infections are presented. Interferon-alfa treatment is the only licensed therapy for chronic hepatitis C until now, but an efficacy of such treatment is highly variable. Viral factors predicting the long-term outcome of interferon alfa therapy, such as genotype, baseline viral load, quasispecies or ISDR mutations, and current concepts of their predictive values are discussed. Our own results are presented and compared with those present in the latest publications.