Glossary

DAA (direct acting antiviral) – new hepatitis C drugs that work directly against the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

The following links are to UK prescribing information for DAA combinations plus ribavirin.

Elbasvir/grazoprevir
https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/elbasvir-with-grazoprevir/

Sofosbuvir/ledipasvir
https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/ledipasvir-with-sofosbuvir/

Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir
https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/glecaprevir-with-pibrentasvir/

Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir 
https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/sofosbuvir-with-velpatasvir/

Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir
https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/sofosbuvir-with-velpatasvir-and-voxilaprevir/

Ribavirin (RBV)
https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/ribavirin/

Additional information is available from the MHRA website.
https://products.mhra.gov.uk/

CD4 cells are white blood cells in your immune system. CD4 cells signal to CD8 cells to destroy a virus. CD4 cells are also used by HIV as factories to reproduce in.

grade/grading – the grade of hepatitis infection refers to the amount of inflammation in liver tissue, found by a biopsy. It is usually measured on the Ishak scale from 1-18) where 0 is none and 18 is the maximum. See staging.

T-cell – a type of white blood cell (lymphocyte) that are part of the immune system and that mature in the thymus (T). CD4 cells are also called T-cells.

steatosis – fatty liver. Build up of fat in the liver. Steatosis worsens liver damage and makes hepatitis C harder to treat.