Molecular diagnostics of hepatitis C infection in the era of new treatment strategies

Abstract:

Molecular diagnostics methods are applied in the diagnosis of acute and chronic hepatitis C, pre-therapeutic treatment of patients, monitoring the success of treatment and in assessing the success of eradication of the virus during treatment. Application of new antiviral drugs, particularly the treatment options that do not include interferon (IFN-free therapy), has partially altered the approach to the molecular diagnostics of hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection. The most significant changes in the molecular diagnosis of HCV infection in the era of new drugs are changes in the algorithm of quantification of HCV RNA during treatment of chronic hepatitis C with IFN-free therapies, the clinical significance of genotype 1 subtype subtyping, and resistance testing of HCV to NS3 protease inhibitors and inhibitors of NS5A in certain groups of patients.

Key words:
antiviral treatment; HCV RNA; hepatitis C; resistance