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World J Hepatol. Mar 27, 2015; 7(3): 616-627
Published online Mar 27, 2015. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v7.i3.616
Evidence-based consensus on the diagnosis, prevention and management of hepatitis C virus disease
Mahrukh Akbar Shaheen, Muhammad Idrees
Mahrukh Akbar Shaheen, Muhammad Idrees, Division of Molecular Virology, National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 53700, Pakistan
Author contributions: Shaheen MA drafted the manuscript; Idrees M conceived, designed and critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content.
Conflict-of-interest: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Dr. Muhammad Idrees, Associate Professor, Head, Division of Molecular Virology, National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 53700, Pakistan. idreeskhan@cemb.edu.pk
Telephone: +92-42-35293141 Fax: +92-42-35293141
Received: August 25, 2014
Peer-review started: August 26, 2014
First decision: September 19, 2014
Revised: October 1, 2014
Accepted: December 3, 2014
Article in press: December 3, 2014
Published online: March 27, 2015
Processing time: 217 Days and 21.7 Hours
Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a potent human pathogen and is one of the main causes of chronic hepatitis round the world. The present review describes the evidence-based consensus on the diagnosis, prevention and management of HCV disease. Various techniques, for the detection of anti-HCV immunoglobulin G immunoassays, detection of HCV RNA by identifying virus-specific molecules nucleic acid testings, recognition of core antigen for diagnosis of HCV, quantitative antigen assay, have been used to detect HCV RNA and core antigen. Advanced technologies such as nanoparticle-based diagnostic assays, loop-mediated isothermal amplification and aptamers and Ortho trak-C assay have also come to the front that provides best detection results with greater ease and specificity for detection of HCV. It is of immense importance to prevent this infection especially among the sexual partners, injecting drug users, mother-to-infant transmission of HCV, household contact, healthcare workers and people who get tattoos and piercing on their skin. Management of this infection is intended to eradicate it out of the body of patients. Management includes examining the treatment (efficacy and protection), assessment of hepatic condition before commencing therapy, controlling the parameters upon which dual and triple therapies work, monitoring the body after treatment and adjusting the co-factors. Examining the treatment in some special groups of people (HIV/HCV co-infected, hemodialysis patients, renal transplanted patients).

Keywords: Hepatitis C virus; Enzyme immunoassay; Nucleic acid testing; Loop-mediated isothermal amplification; Sustained viral response; Telaprevir; Boceprevir; Liver transplant

Core tip: The present review describes the evidence-based consensus on the diagnosis, prevention and management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) disease. Besides the conventional techniques more advanced technologies have come to the front that provides best detection with greater ease and specificity. It is of immense importance to prevent this infection among the sexual partners, injecting drug users, mother-to-infant transmission of HCV, household contact, healthcare workers and people who get tattoos and piercing on their skin. Management includes examining the treatment, assessment of hepatic condition before commencing therapy, controlling the parameters upon which dual and triple therapies work, monitoring after treatment and adjusting the co-factors.