Author/Editor		Matičič, M
Title		Okužba z virusom hepatitisa C s stomatološkega vidika
Translated title		Hepatitis C virus infection from the dentist's perspective
Type		članek
Source		Zobozdrav Vestn
Vol. and No.		Letnik 57, št. 3-4
Publication year		2002
Volume		str. 76-82
Language		slo
Abstract		The global prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection is estimated at 200 million cases. Hepatitis C virus accounts for 75% of cases of chronic viral hepatitis worldwide and represents the most common cause of liver transplantation in adults. In 15 % of infected subjects, the virus disappears spontaneously, leaving no permanent immunity. The rest suffer from chronic infection, which is discovered accidentally in most cases. Approximately 20 % of patients with chronic hepatitis C develop liver cirrhosis; in 1-2.5% of them, hepatocellular carcinoma is diagnosed. The most common routes of spread are parenteral transmission by infected blood and blood products, sexual transmission, and transmission from mother to infant. In 30-50% of infected subjects, the mode of transmission remains unknown. Invasive medical procedures, including dental treatment, may provide a route for the spread of infection. The presence and shedding patterns of the viral genome in gingival crevicular fluid and saliva of viremic patients were first reported in 2000. The results suggest that the virus could be transmitted via oral excretions and that it may play a role in the pathogenesis of certain oral diseases (lichen planus). These findings highlight the need to continuously review infection control policies in dentistry and perform diagnostic tests for hepatitis C virus infection in patients with typical oral pathology.
Descriptors		HEPATITIS C HEPATITIS C-LIKE VIRUSES GINGIVAL CREVICULAR FLUID SALIVA PERIODONTAL INDEX