Stevan A. Gonzalez, MD Center for the Study of Hepatitis C and the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
Ira M. Jacobson, MD Center for the Study of Hepatitis C and the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
Correspondence: Ira M. Jacobson, MD, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 525 E. 68th Street, Room F-231, New York, NY 10021; email: imj2001@med.cornell.edu
Dr. Gonzalez reported that he has no commercial affiliations or interests that pose a potential conflict of interest with this article.
Dr. Jacobson reported that he has received grant or research support from and served on the speakers’ bureau of the Schering-Plough corporation and serves as a consultant to the Amgen, Ortho Biotech, and Schering-Plough corporations.
ABSTRACT
Certain populations with chronic hepatitis C face special challenges in attaining optimal adherence to antiviral therapy, including patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus, patients undergoing dialysis for end-stage renal disease, and liver transplant recipients. These patient groups may stand to gain particular benefit from the expanding use of hematopoietic growth factors to manage the cytopenic effects of antiviral therapy for hepatitis C. This article reviews the rationale, current evidence, and future prospects for the adjunctive use of growth factors in these special populations with hepatitis C.
