Does Occult Hepatitis C Virus Infection Exist?

Does occult hepatitis C virus infection exist?

Occult hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been found in anti-HCV and serum HCV RNA-negative patients with abnormal results of liver function tests of unknown origin and in patients with spontaneous or treatment-induced recovery from hepatitis C (2–6, 9–11). In a recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Halfon and coworkers questioned the existence of occult HCV infection as they...

CHARACTERISTICS AND PREVALENCE OF OCCULT HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION IN PATIENTS WITH HEPATITIS C IN IRAN

 ABSTRACT Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in patients who lack detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is called occult hepatitis B infection. Such infections have been frequently identified in patients with chronic hepatitis Cliver disease, but their prevalence is not known. Methods: 207 patients with chronic hepatitis C who were HCV -RNA and antiHCV positive were stu...

Juan Antonio Quiroga Vicente Carreño , Javier Bartolomé , Inmaculada Castillo and Exist ? Does Occult Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Occult Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Patients With Autoimmune Hepatitis

BACKGROUND Occult hepatitis C virus infection (OCI) is recognized by finding hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in hepatocytes without detectable anti-HCV antibodies and viral RNA in plasma. Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic and generally progressive disease without exactly-identified etiology. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine the prevalence of OCI among patients with AIH and to evalua...

occult hepatitis c virus infection in patients with autoimmune hepatitis

conclusions with our laboratory diagnostic method, it seems that there are no cases of oci in patients with aih. however, we recommend further studies with more samples and more precise laboratory method. results six males and 29 females with mean disease duration of 77.1 ± 39.5 month and mean age of 43.62 ± 12.67 years were investigated. all cases were negative for anti-hcv antibody and we cou...