Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important health issue because it affects about 3% of the world population. It is estimated that 65–80% of HCV infections progress to chronic disease, and more than 20–50% of patients with chronic hepatitis develop hepatic cirrhosis. Hepatocellular carcinoma complicates 5% of the chronic hepatitis C cases. Combination therapy with peginterferon–ribavirin, which is currently the standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C, shows a sustained virological response in 55% of patients.
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