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Review
. 2020 Sep;60(9):2144-2152.
doi: 10.1111/trf.16006. Epub 2020 Aug 15.

Understanding occult hepatitis C infection

Timothy An  1   2 , Melinda Dean  1   3 , Robert Flower  1 , Tayla Tatzenko  1   2 , Hiu Tat Chan  4 , Philip Kiely  4 , Helen M Faddy  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Understanding occult hepatitis C infection

Timothy An et al. Transfusion. 2020 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Occult hepatitis C infection (OCI) is a type of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, defined as the presence of HCV RNA in hepatocytes or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the absence of HCV RNA in serum.

Study design and methods: A literature review was conducted to identify articles that characterized OCI as a disease, including its epidemiology, mode of transmission, pattern of infection, progression, and treatment.

Results: OCI patients experience a milder degree of inflammatory and cirrhotic changes than patients with chronic hepatitis C. OCI is transmissible parenterally both in vivo and in vitro, however the duration and outcome of OCI remains unclear. OCI is most consistently found in patients with previous hepatitis C disease and hemodialysis patients. Beyond the at-risk populations, OCI has also been demonstrated among healthy individuals and blood donors.

Conclusions: This review summarises our current understanding of OCI and suggests areas for further research to improve our understanding of this phenomenon, including a better understanding of its epidemiology and full clinical course. The current understanding of OCI and its clinical implications remain limited. Further standardized detection methods, ongoing surveillance, and investigation of its potential transmissions are required.

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References

REFERENCES

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