Infection with the hepatitis C virus occurs from blood transfusions, needle sharing, working in a medical environment and sexual contact. Often, the infected individual does not know how he or she acquired this potentially lethal virus that has a high affinity for liver cells. There is now more research being conducted on hepatitis C than on any other cause of liver disease. The hepatitis C virus does most of its damage by latching onto molecules of iron, and delivering massive free-radical damage to liver cells. These free radicals can mutate cellular DNA to cause hepatocellular carcinoma, and can kill large numbers of liver cells.
Liver dysfunction causes havoc throughout the body.
Successful eradication of the hepatitis C virus from the body requires that iron levels in the liver and blood be at very low levels, and thus it can be said that high stores of iron in the liver preclude successful therapy against the hepatitis C virus. It is mandatory to reduce iron levels in the body before initiating treatment with interferon and ribavirin combination therapy. People are diagnosed with hepatitis C when a blood test reveals a positive reading for the hepatitis C antibody. Standard tests to measure hepatitis C activity include the liver function tests SGOT, SGPT, GGTP and alkaline phosphatase. Hepatitis C antibody tests can accurately diagnose hepatitis C infection, but are not always precise in evaluating the success of treatments.