The purpose of the study was to establish the frequency of registration of various degrees of liver tissue damage in chronic viral hepatitis C infection. Materials and methods. People who applied to the Medical Center “Medikus clinic” were studied. 1611 people were examined, including 830 males and 771 females. The proportion of people with viral hepatitis C was 972 people, of whom there were 432 men and 540 women. Among the surveyed such age groups were identified: 1st – 18–29 years, 2nd – 30–39, 3rd – 40–49, 4th – 50–59 and 5th – 60 years and older. In order to verify the presence of viral hepatitis C, specific laboratory methods and their evaluation criteria were used, and it was HCV [ifa]. The studies were carried out on the Beckman Coulter Access 2 device according to the ELISA methodology. For hepatitis C virus, the analytical sensitivity was 15/m IU/ml. Polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm the presence of viral hepatitis C in the examined patient. The study was carried out on the device “Rotor Gene Q” (Germany). Elastometry was performed on a 2D-Supersonic Aixplorer SWE (France). The examination of patients was carried out according to the Cut-offs scale, and liver fibrosis was determined by the METAVIR scale. Ultrasound elastometry of the liver made it possible to assess the degree of fibrosis of hepatic tissue in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C, which is important in predicting complications of the disease and their consequences. Results and discussion. In males in all age groups, relatively high indicators characterizing the stiffness of liver tissue were recorded, without significant dynamics (1st – 8.2 ± 1.2 kPa; 2nd – 9.5 ± 0.8 kPa; 3rd – 11.4 ± 0.8 kPa; 4th – 11.8 ± 1.0 kPa; 5th – 11.0 ± 1.1 kPa, p>0.05). Almost all of them corresponded to the compensated stage of liver cirrhosis. Among females in the presence of viral hepatitis C, the indicator characterizing the degree of liver tissue fibrosis showed a statistically significant increase from the minimum value in the 1st age group to the maximum in the 5th (1st – 5.9 ± 0.5 kPa; 2nd – 7.6 ± 0 kPa; 3rd – 8.2 ± 0.7 kPa; 4th – 10.9 ± 0.8 kPa; 5th – 12.9 ± 0.9 kPa, p<0.001) and everywhere it was higher than the standard indicator (5.0 kPa). Conclusion. It is quite obvious that the presence of viral hepatitis C is characterized by a pronounced progressive development of fibrous tissue. The peculiarity lies in the fact that this trend is observed in men starting from 40, and in women from 50 years. In all age groups, it was higher in males. Basically, fibrosis progressed after 50 years. The male sex and age of patients had a significant influence on the development of fibrous tissue in the liver. The highest values of the studied indicator were observed in the regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The increase in the degree of liver tissue damage after 50 years is probably due to the development of the atherosclerotic process and the presence of comorbid diseases
Keywords: chronic viral hepatitis C, liver elastometry, fibrosis
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