Abstract
Chronic viral hepatitis C belongs among serious liver diseases, which, if untreated, leads to irreversible cirrhosis of the liver, with a heightened risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. An active approach to diagnostics and effective treatment of hepatitis C are essential for improving the prognosis of patients with this disease.
The treatment for hepatitis C underwent a dynamic development in recent years - from an interferon monotherapy to a combination treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin to utilising new drugs from the group of directly acting virostatics. A steady virological response is currently achieved in 50 % of the patients, using the standard two-pronged pegylated interferon and ribavirin antiviral combination.
What is coming to the forefront now is the issue of those patients in whom the initial antiviral therapy was not effective, i. e. those with relapses, non-responses or partial responses. Introducing new therapeutic schemes and new antiviral drugs represents a great hope for improving the prognosis of these patients.