Treatment of patients with hepatitis C virus on the waiting list

Abstract

Key points 1. Over 90% of patients with hepatitis C on the waiting list might be candidates for therapy with interferon plus ribavirin. 2. One must exercise caution in the treatment of these patients. Those with Child-Turcotte-Pugh score >11 or Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score >25 should be excluded from treatment. 3. Sustained virologic response (hepatitis C virus RNA-negative) is mainly dependent on viral genotype, with 50% of genotype 2 and 3 patients achieving sustained virologic response. 4. The ability to achieve sustained virologic response in genotype 1 patients is dependent on dose and duration of treatment. 5. Patients rendered hepatitis C virus RNA-negative pretransplantation may not experience posttransplantation recurrence.