Bonino F, Demartini A, Brunetto M R
Divisione di Gastroenterologia, Ospedale S. Giovanni Battista Molinette, Torino.
Ann Ist Super Sanita. 1991;27(3):547-53.
The discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and its serological markers represents a new milestone in the history of viral hepatitis and allows a specific diagnosis of viral hepatitis in more than 90 percent of cases. In addition, testing for anti-HCV plays a crucial role in prevention of post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis. The multifaceted spectrum of liver disease associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, spanning from a healthy carrier state to severe forms of chronic hepatitis, was traditionally attributed to variability of host's antiviral immune response. The finding that a peculiar natural course and response to interferon of chronic hepatitis B is associated with the infection of a defective HBV unable to secrete the "e" antigen (HBeAg-minus) emphasizes the clinical implications of the genetic heterogeneity of hepatitis viruses.
丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）及其血清学标志物的发现是病毒性肝炎史上的一个新里程碑，使得90%以上的病例能够对病毒性肝炎进行特异性诊断。此外，抗-HCV检测在预防输血后非甲非乙型肝炎方面发挥着关键作用。传统上，与乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）感染相关的肝病多方面谱，从健康携带者状态到严重的慢性肝炎形式，都归因于宿主抗病毒免疫反应的变异性。慢性乙型肝炎特殊的自然病程和对干扰素的反应与一种无法分泌“e”抗原的缺陷型HBV（e抗原阴性）感染相关这一发现，强调了肝炎病毒基因异质性的临床意义。
