A 47-year-old male has been referred by his GP for
investigation of abnormal liver function tests. He uses approximately 50 units
of alcohol per week and is an intravenous drug abuser having picked up the
habit when he was in prison for two years. He had just been released from
prison. There were no past illnesses of note; in particular he had never
received a blood transfusion or any blood products. On examination there were
no stigmata of chronic liver disease and there was no hepatomegaly.
Investigations revealed raised aminotransferases and he was anti-HCV antibody
positive and HCV-RNA positive genotype 1.
In this patient the risk of progression of liver disease
is not increased by:
