Detection and characterization of the hepatitis C virus

The term hepatitis literally means 'inflammation of the liver', Hepatitis can be caused by toxic substances. metabolic disorders or viral infections. Most clinical hepatitis cases have a viral etiology. Viral hepatitis appears to be an ancient disease (Deinhardt, 1991) and has been recognized as infectious since centuries. Evaluation of hepatitis outbreaks led to the hypothesis that more than one type of viral hepatitis existed. Initially, two different forms of viral infectious agents were identified (Krugman et aI., 1962, 1967). Hepatitis A virus (HA V) is orally transntitted and bas a short incubation period. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transntitred parenterally and has a long incubation period. HA V contains a single stranded RNA genome and belongs to the Picornaviridae, whereas the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) contains a partially double stranded DNA genome and is classified as a Hepadnavirus (Tiollais et aI., 1985). In the early 1980s, an RNA virus designated as hepatitis Delta (Rizetto, 1983) was recognized. This defective hepatotropic virus requires helper functions provided by HBV or another Hepadnavirus (Wang et aI., 1986). After the discovery of hepatitis A and B viruses as etiological agents for viral hepatitis, sensitive serologic assays were developed to diagnose the presence of these viruses.