Hepatitis C--clinical profile.

Hepatitis C virus is a small enveloped RNA virus of the flaviviridae family of genus hepacivirus. Hepatitis C is one of the five viruses that account for majority of cases of viral hepatitis. Hepatitis C has a variable course that can lead to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Course of the disease can be adversely altered by various factors including alcohol. Presently various tests are available for diagnosing hepatitis C virus infection but polymerase chain reaction assay detects the hepatitis C virus RNA with a greater suitability though significant variability exists among different laboratories. Exact pathogenesis is not clear but infiltration of lymphocytes are typically observed in hepatic parenchyma along with cytotoxic T lymphocytes and a CD4+ proliferative response. Hepatitis C has a variable clinical course, only 15% develop acute viral hepatitis and rest will eventually develop chronic infection and hepatocellular carcinoma. Extra-intestinal manifestation of immunological origin has been observed. Two forms of therapy viz, alpha-interferon and alpha-interferon with ribavirin are usually used but combination therapy with ribavirin and alpha-interferon has shown promise in the treatment of patient with relapse. Interruption of the transmission routes of HCV remains the main-stay of treatment.