title: A dynamic study of viraemia in chronic hepatitis C infection.
abstract: The dynamics of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), anti-hepatitis C virus and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in six cases with chronic HCV infection were studied for 3-7 years. Two of the six cases showed continued elevation of ALT, and three showed intermittent elevation. All cases were persistently positive for anti-HCV after initial seroconversion. Five of the six cases were persistently positive for HCV RNA detected by nested polymerase chain reaction, and one was positive intermittently. Thus hepatitis C virus replicates continually in a majority of patients with chronic hepatitis C, although some cases may show intermittent replication, and replication of hepatitis C virus does not always correlate with elevated ALT.
authors.affiliation: Hygiene and Anti-epidemic Station of Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Z D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Y D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Copland
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Gowans
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014766:Viremia / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase