摘要
Over 75% of patients with acute hepatitis C （HCV） will develop into chronic infection associated with chronic hepatitis, end stage liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV infection is usually ignored because the level of HCV in serum of some patients is very low and most patients with chronic HCV infection are asymptomatic. Some patients with persistent abnormal liver function may be infected with HCV although HCV RNA and HCV antibodies in serum are negative because their HCV load is under the current detectable limit or sometimes HCV is absent in serum but present in the liver or peripheral blood mononuclear cells （PBMCs） and other tissues.
Over 75% of patients with acute hepatitis C （HCV） will develop into chronic infection associated with chronic hepatitis, end stage liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV infection is usually ignored because the level of HCV in serum of some patients is very low and most patients with chronic HCV infection are asymptomatic. Some patients with persistent abnormal liver function may be infected with HCV although HCV RNA and HCV antibodies in serum are negative because their HCV load is under the current detectable limit or sometimes HCV is absent in serum but present in the liver or peripheral blood mononuclear cells （PBMCs） and other tissues.
