الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract The discovery of the hepatitis C genome in 1989 has led to the realization that this virus is a major worldwide health problem (Alter et al, 1999). The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease and a leading indication for liver transplantation. There are 170 million individuals infected worldwide. Approximately 20% of these individuals will progress to develop cirrhosis over the following 20 years. Death occurs at a rate of 2% to 5% per year once the patient develops cirrhosis and the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is 3% to 7% per year after the development of cirrhosis. Overall |