A true revolution: enhanced motivation of the patient with rapid loss of virus (or rapid negativation of viral load), relationship between viral and histological cure.

摘要

With an estimated prevalence of 2% in the entire world's population (which equates to around 170 million infected individuals worldwide), the hepatitis C virus (HCV) constitutes a heavy burden on public health. Yet, even if the incidence of new infections were to decline, such as in the industrialized countries where these infections are mostly restricted to intravenous drug users, the rates of morbidity and mortality (including HCV-related costs) associated with HCV infection are expected to increase over the next decade. In addition, models suggest (and are confirmed by observations in our daily practices) that the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and HCV-related mortality will continue to increase until around 2015.