DRUG USERS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) usually evades the host’s immune system and persists as a chronic infection. Intravenous drug users (IVDU) represent the majority of patients infected with HCV. Combined therapy of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with peginterferon α-a and ribavirin can be successful even when pa-tients continue the intravenous drug use. In this study, we compared the characteristics of age, gender, genotype, and stage of fi brosis and the therapy outcome among IVDU and patients with no history of drug use. Y e study included patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C, evaluated and treated at the Clinic for infectious diseases in Nis from to . HCV RNA was detected by a polymerase chain reaction and the determination of genotypes was undertaken. Liver biopsies were examined histopatho-logicaly. Patients received a combined treatment of peginterferon alfa-a and ribavirin. Y erapy effi ciency was evaluated based on the achievement of the sustained virological response (SVR). A comparison of characteristics was performed with the use of Mann–Whitney U test, chi-square (χ) test and logistic regression. IVDU were signifi cantly younger than patients in the control group. Prevalence of stage fi brosis was signifi cantly higher among IVDU. Y e therapy outcome is infl uenced by the patient’s age and HCV genotypes. Each year added to one patient decreased the therapy effi ciency by ., while geno