Hepatitis C

Terms You Should Know 

• Antibodies : Proteins produced in response to a specific antigen (foreign body), which can then combine with that antigen and neutralize it. 
  Bile : Greenish fluid formed by the liver and emptied into the small intestine via the bile ducts; contains bilirubin, bile salts, phospholipids, and cholesterol. 
  Bilirubin: A bile pigment formed a s a breakdown product of old red blood cells; marked increase in blood levels can lead to jaundice from deposition of bilirubin in skin, mucous membranes, and whites of the eyes. 
  Fulminant :Running a speedy course, with rapid worsening.
  Hepatitis : Inflammation and damage to the liver; generally considered acute if duration is less than six months, chronic if greater than six months. 
  Hepatocytes : Liver cells. 

Hepatitis C is caused by a virus ( medically abbreviated as HCV). This type of viral Hepatitis is different from the others in an important way. All patients with Hepatitis A and most with Hepatitis B develop an acute infection, recover completely, and develop antibodies that protect them from getting the disease again. However, the Hepatitis C virus is a 'quick-change' virus. Once inside the body, it changes its form to evade discovery and attack by the immune system. Hepatitis C patients do develop antibodies, but they are not curative or protective as in Hepatitis A or B. Hepatitis C antibodies may not completely remove the virus. Therefore, most people infected with the HCV virus will develop chronic Hepatitis. Nearly 80 per cent of the people who are exposed to the Hepatitis C virus become chronic carriers. HCV can cause chronic ( long-lasting) inflammation and scarring of the liver. It is generally considered to be among the most serious of Hepatitis viruses. New cases of HCV have declined by 80 percent in Western countries since blood banks began screening for the virus in 1992.

Signs and Symptoms

• Blood transfusion before 1992 (before 1992 tests for HCV were not available)
  Intravenous drug use ( street drugs such as heroin and cocaine)
  Snorting Cocaine ( inhaling cocaine)
  Tattoos, body piercing.
  Sharing razors, needles, nail clippers, toothbrushes. 
  Environmental or occupational exposure to infected blood 
  Healthcare workers, paramedics.
  Infants born to HCV infected mothers. 
  High-risk sexual behaviour, multiple partners, and sexually transmitted diseases. 

Hepatitis C
Diagnosis, Complications and Treatment