Hepatitis C management: the challenge of dropout associated with male sex and injection drug use.

Background: Anecdotal reports of poor patient compliance with hepatitis C disease management exist yet little data are available on the true rates of dropout.

Aims: To examine all referrals made to an urban tertiary care liver centre for hepatitis C virus (HCV) management, track subsequent progress and identify dropout trends.

Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective review was conducted to examine the HCV referrals received on 2000 through 2007.

Prediction of hepatic fibrosis in HIV/HCV co-infected patients using serum fibrosis markers: the SHASTA index.

Background/aims: To examine if serum fibrosis biomarkers could accurately identify the stage of liver disease amongst hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV co-infected patients.

Methods: One hundred and thirty seven HIV/HCV co-infected persons were randomly selected from the Johns Hopkins HIV Clinic cohort. Ninety five had complete testing for fibrosis markers in sera collected at the time of liver biopsy.