II. Hepatitis C HC

II. Hepatitis C (HC)

In the 1970s, research on post-transfusion liver disease revealed a viral particle that differed from both HBV and HAV. Initially, this viral particle was mistakenly identified as a liver disease caused by HEV, alongside non-A, non-B hepatitis. In 1987, the WHO officially separated HEV from HBV, concluding that HEV primarily spread through blood transfusions, while HBV spread mainly via the digestive tract. Consequently, HEV was named Hepatitis C (HC). In 1989, at the International Liver Conference held in Rome, it was suggested that hepatitis C is not solely caused by blood transfusions; homosexual behavior, drug use, and mental disorders—due to immune system variations—can also trigger this disease.

In 1978, Aeter et al. first conducted research on Hepatitis C infection in chimpanzees. Some believed that HCV was a retrovirus, but subsequent research indicated that this virus was not a retrovirus at all—it was merely a contaminant in long-term cell cultures, specifically a monkey foamy virus. The incubation period after contracting Hepatitis C is approximately 7–8 weeks, though some individuals experienced an incubation period of up to 28 weeks or even longer. Most Hepatitis C patients exhibit no clinical symptoms; only about one-quarter of patients display clinical signs. Common clinical manifestations include fatigue, loss of appetite, and abdominal distension; some patients may experience liver pain, tenderness in the liver region, or percussion tenderness; others may notice hepatomegaly and liver function impairment, with elevated transaminases being the most common finding. In summary, the vast majority of Hepatitis C patients remain asymptomatic in daily life. Among the aforementioned symptoms, “fatigue” appears in up to 50% of cases, while the remaining symptoms occur in 15%–25% of patients. Although the clinical presentation of this disease is relatively mild, its greatest risk lies in its tendency to become chronic. In September 1989, at the International Hepatitis C Symposium held in Tokyo, Japan, it was unanimously determined that the chronicity rate of Hepatitis C exceeded 50%, whereas the chronicity rate of Hepatitis B was only 5%–10%. According to international evidence-based statistics, among all CH (chronic liver disease) patients… CHC accounts for 60%–70%, and in China, CHB (chronic hepatitis B) still constitutes the majority of cases, primarily because of the high incidence of hepatitis B in our country. Given the chronic nature of HCV, this disease should not be overlooked. According to recent reports, the natural cure rate for HCV is only around 1%, with a poor prognosis.

Approximately 20%–30% of patients progress to liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Histopathological studies have confirmed that about 50% of patients with chronic hepatitis C develop hepatocellular carcinoma within 11 years, with severe cases progressing to liver cirrhosis (LC) within 5–8 years. Japanese researchers tracked HCV patients for 26 years; apart from one case where ALT levels returned to normal, all other patients continued to exhibit abnormal liver function. Among them, 7 patients developed chronic hepatitis C, 3 developed hepatocellular carcinoma, 4 progressed to liver cirrhosis, 5 progressed to HCC, and 1 had non-specific hepatitis.

In terms of treatment, Western medicine has only proposed IFN therapy for HCV. Currently, it can only be confirmed that this medication can slow down or halt the progression from HCV to LC. The standard clinical regimen involves 3 million units administered three times a week for a course of 6 months. Most scholars believe that a treatment duration of just six months is insufficient, but extending the treatment for another 1–2 years may also pose challenges related to patient tolerance.

Traditional Chinese medicine and herbal remedies are effective against HCV, though they require long-term use. The author has successfully treated many cases of CHC through long-term use of Yibigan and Yibigan Kang, resulting in negative HCV-DNA tests and several years of follow-up without recurrence. These two medications were developed by the author himself.