CLINICAL TRIAL: HALT-C

该子项目是利用 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是 中心，不一定是研究者的机构。 丙型肝炎在美国影响着大约400万人，每年有30，000例新诊断病例（1 - 3）。 丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）在肝脏疾病的原因中仅次于酒精中毒排名第二，是肝移植的主要原因（4 - 6）。 健康专家说，死于丙型肝炎的人数可能很快超过死于艾滋病的人数（马约诊所，1998年12月12日）。 事实上，丙型肝炎可能是发达国家原发性肝癌最常见的原因。 在意大利、西班牙和日本，至少有一半的肝癌可能与HCV有关（7）。 慢性丙型肝炎可导致肝硬化、肝衰竭和肝癌（8）. 大约20%的患者在感染后10至20年内发展为肝硬化（9）。 男性，酗酒者，肝硬化患者，40岁以上的人，以及感染20至40年的人更有可能发展为HCV相关的肝癌（7）。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Hepatitis C affects an estimated 4 million people in the U.S., with 30,000 new cases diagnosed annually (1-3). The hepatitis C virus (HCV) ranks second behind alcoholism among the causes of liver disease and is the leading reason for liver transplants (4-6). Health experts say the number of deaths from HCV may soon surpass the number attributed to AIDS (Mayo Clinic, Dec. 12, 1998). In fact, hepatitis C might be the most common cause of primary liver cancer in the developed world. In Italy, Spain, and Japan, at least half of liver cancers could be related to HCV (7). Chronic hepatitis C can cause cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer (8). About 20 percent of patients develop cirrhosis within 10 to 20 years of the onset of infection (9). Men, alcoholics, patients with cirrhosis, people over age 40, and those infected for 20 to 40 years are more likely to develop HCV-related liver cancer (7).