Lab result explainedInflammationLast updated November 11, 2026

Hepatitis C antibody test: what reactive and non-reactive results mean, and why HCV RNA decides

Hepatitis C antibody test (anti-HCV) · Hepatitis C antibody with reflex to HCV RNA (viral load) · reported in Antibody: non-reactive or reactive, with a signal-to-cutoff (S/CO) ratio on some reports; HCV RNA: not detected, or IU/mL (also shown as log10 IU/mL)

The hepatitis C antibody test (anti-HCV) looks for antibodies your immune system has made against the hepatitis C virus. A reactive (positive) result means you have been infected with hepatitis C at some point in your life. It does not, on its own, tell you whether you still have the virus. About one in four people clear hepatitis C spontaneously within six months of catching it, and anyone successfully treated has also cleared it, but in all of them the antibody stays positive for life. The test that settles whether the virus is present now is HCV RNA, a PCR test that detects the virus's genetic material, and most laboratories now run it automatically ('reflex') on any reactive antibody sample.

Hepatitis C is common and usually silent. Around 2.2 to 2.4 million people in the United States are living with the infection, roughly 4 in 10 of them unaware, because chronic hepatitis C causes no symptoms for decades while it slowly scars the liver. That is why the CDC and the US Preventive Services Task Force recommend that every adult be tested at least once, that every pregnant person be tested in each pregnancy, and that people with ongoing risk be tested regularly. If you have had a transfusion before 1992, ever injected drugs even once, been on dialysis, had a needlestick, or were born to a mother with hepatitis C, you are in a group where testing matters most.

The result that brings most people to this page is 'hepatitis C antibody reactive'. The next line on the report, the HCV RNA, is the one that matters: RNA detected means current infection, which is now treatable with 8 to 12 weeks of tablets that clear the virus in more than 95 percent of people; RNA not detected means past infection that resolved, or occasionally a false-positive antibody. A 'non-reactive' antibody means no evidence of infection, with the caveat that antibodies take 2 to 6 months to appear after an exposure, so a recent exposure needs an RNA test or a repeat antibody later.

anti-HCV at a glance

  • What it is: a blood test for antibodies against the hepatitis C virus, usually with an automatic HCV RNA test if the antibody is reactive.
  • Non-reactive: no evidence of hepatitis C infection, unless the exposure was within the last 6 months (window period) or you are significantly immunosuppressed; then HCV RNA or a repeat test is needed.
  • Reactive antibody + HCV RNA detected: current hepatitis C infection. You are infectious and should be linked to care; treatment clears the virus in more than 95 percent of people.
  • Reactive antibody + HCV RNA not detected: you were infected and cleared it (spontaneously in about 25 percent, or after treatment), or the antibody is a false positive. You are not infectious and do not have liver disease from hepatitis C, but you are not immune to reinfection.
  • Signal-to-cutoff (S/CO) ratio: high values (above roughly 3.8 to 11 depending on the assay) are true positives more than 95 percent of the time; low reactive values are often false positives and need RNA to sort out.
  • Next step for current infection: ALT, AST, platelets and a fibrosis assessment (FIB-4 or elastography), hepatitis B and HIV tests, and a referral for direct-acting antiviral treatment.

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What anti-HCV measures

After hepatitis C enters the blood, the virus multiplies in liver cells and HCV RNA becomes detectable within 1 to 2 weeks. Antibodies against several viral proteins (core, NS3, NS4, NS5) appear later, on average 8 to 11 weeks after exposure, and in nearly everyone by 6 months. The antibody test is an immunoassay that captures these antibodies on a solid surface coated with recombinant viral proteins and reports the signal relative to a cutoff (the S/CO ratio). The antibodies do not neutralize the virus and do not confer immunity: people who clear hepatitis C can catch it again.

Because antibodies persist whether or not the virus does, a reactive result has three possible explanations: current infection (about 75 percent of reactive results in most US populations), resolved infection, or a false positive. HCV RNA testing by PCR separates them. Qualitative RNA reports 'detected' or 'not detected'; quantitative RNA gives the viral load in international units per milliliter (IU/mL), with a lower limit of detection around 12 to 15 IU/mL. In chronic infection the viral load usually sits between 100,000 and 10 million IU/mL and does not correlate with how damaged the liver is; it is used to confirm infection and to document clearance 12 weeks after treatment ends.

The S/CO ratio adds nuance to a reactive antibody. CDC analyses showed that above an assay-specific threshold (roughly 3.8 for some platforms and 8 to 11 for others) more than 95 percent of reactive results are confirmed true positives, while low-ratio reactives in people without risk factors are often false. A few groups make less antibody than expected and can be antibody-negative while infected: people with advanced HIV, on hemodialysis, after organ transplant, or with severe immune deficiency. In them, and within 6 months of a known exposure, RNA is the right test. Babies born to mothers with hepatitis C carry maternal antibody for up to 18 months, so infants are tested by RNA at 2 to 6 months of age, or by antibody after 18 months.

Normal range for anti-HCV

Reference ranges vary between labs and by age, sex and pregnancy. Use the range printed on your own report.

GroupTypical range (Antibody: non-reactive or reactive, with a signal-to-cutoff (S/CO) ratio on some reports; HCV RNA: not detected, or IU/mL (also shown as log10 IU/mL))Notes
Antibody non-reactiveS/CO below 1.0No evidence of past or present infection. Repeat with HCV RNA if the possible exposure was within the last 6 months, or if you have advanced HIV, are on dialysis or are otherwise immunosuppressed.
Antibody reactive, low signalS/CO 1.0 up to the assay's high-confidence threshold (about 3.8–11 depending on platform)Often a false positive in people without risk factors, but can be a true positive. Needs HCV RNA; some labs also run a second antibody test.
Antibody reactive, high signalS/CO above the assay's thresholdTrue positive more than 95 percent of the time. Still needs HCV RNA to distinguish current from resolved infection.
HCV RNA not detectedBelow the assay's limit, typically under 12–15 IU/mLNo current infection. With a reactive antibody this means resolved infection or a false-positive antibody. The CDC advises a second RNA test if the exposure was recent, since very early infection can fluctuate.
HCV RNA detectedAny quantifiable level; chronic infection typically 100,000–10,000,000 IU/mL (5–7 log10)Current infection. Viral load does not indicate how severe the liver disease is and is not used to decide urgency; fibrosis assessment does that.
Pattern: antibody reactive, RNA detectedCurrent infectionAcute if within 6 months of exposure, chronic beyond that. About 75 percent of people with acute infection progress to chronic infection.
Pattern: antibody reactive, RNA not detectedResolved infection or false-positive antibodyNot infectious, no treatment needed, no immunity to reinfection. People with ongoing risk are followed with RNA, not antibody, since the antibody stays positive.
Pattern: antibody non-reactive, RNA detectedVery early (window period) infection, or impaired antibody productionSeen in the first 2 to 6 months after exposure and in significant immunosuppression. The antibody usually becomes reactive on follow-up.
Infants under 18 monthsAntibody may reflect the mother's antibodyTest infants of mothers with hepatitis C by HCV RNA at 2 to 6 months of age; an antibody test is meaningful only after 18 months. About 6 percent of exposed infants are infected.

Reactive (positive) hepatitis C antibody

A reactive hepatitis C antibody means that at some point hepatitis C virus entered your body and your immune system responded to it. In most US populations about three quarters of people with a reactive antibody have the virus in their blood now; the rest cleared it, either on their own within the first six months or after treatment, or have a false-positive antibody. The HCV RNA result, usually printed under the antibody on the same report, is the one that decides which group you are in. If the RNA was not run, it should be, on the same sample where possible, so that you are not left for weeks with an answer that is only half complete.

If HCV RNA is detected, you have a current hepatitis C infection. This is a treatable condition rather than the life sentence it was before 2014: direct-acting antiviral tablets taken for 8 to 12 weeks clear the virus in more than 95 percent of people, with few side effects, and clearing it stops further liver scarring, lowers the risk of liver cancer and liver failure, and ends the possibility of passing it on. Until then you can transmit the virus by blood, which in practice means not sharing needles, razors, toothbrushes or glucose lancets, covering cuts, not donating blood or organs, and telling healthcare and dental staff. Sexual transmission between long-term monogamous heterosexual partners is uncommon, but higher among men who have sex with men, particularly with HIV.

If HCV RNA is not detected, the most likely explanation is a past infection that your body cleared, which happens in roughly 15 to 45 percent of people (about 25 percent on average), more often in women, younger people and those who had symptoms during the acute illness. You are not infectious, the virus did no lasting damage in most cases, and no treatment is needed; a second RNA test some months later is reasonable to be sure, especially if the exposure might have been recent. The antibody will remain reactive for life, so future screening for reinfection in people with ongoing risk uses RNA rather than antibody. A low-signal reactive antibody with negative RNA in someone with no risk factors is more likely a false positive than a resolved infection.

Common causes

  1. Current chronic hepatitis C infection

    Acquired through shared injection equipment (the dominant route in the US today, even a single episode decades ago), transfusion or organ transplant before 1992, clotting-factor concentrates before 1987, unsterile tattooing or piercing, needlestick injury, long-term hemodialysis, or birth to a mother with hepatitis C.

  2. Resolved past infection

    About 25 percent of people clear the virus spontaneously within 6 months, and antibody persists afterward. HCV RNA is not detected and there is no liver injury from the virus.

  3. Successfully treated hepatitis C

    After direct-acting antiviral treatment the antibody stays reactive indefinitely; a sustained virologic response is defined as undetectable RNA 12 weeks after the end of treatment, and relapse after that point is rare (under 1 percent).

  4. Acute hepatitis C

    A reactive antibody with RNA detected within 6 months of a known exposure. Only 20 to 30 percent of people have symptoms (fatigue, nausea, jaundice, dark urine) in the acute phase; most acute infections are found by testing after a needlestick or a known contact.

  5. False-positive antibody

    More common in low-risk people, with a low S/CO ratio. Associated with autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid factor, high immunoglobulin levels, recent vaccination or other acute infections, and pregnancy. HCV RNA is negative and a different antibody assay may be non-reactive.

  6. Maternal antibody in an infant

    Babies of mothers with hepatitis C carry the mother's antibody for up to 18 months. Only about 6 percent are actually infected (higher if the mother also has HIV), which is why infants are tested by RNA at 2 to 6 months or by antibody after 18 months.

  7. Passive antibody from blood products

    Intravenous immunoglobulin or, rarely, a recent transfusion can transfer donor antibody and produce a transiently reactive result for weeks to a few months, with negative RNA.

  8. Reinfection after clearance

    Clearing hepatitis C does not make you immune. In people who continue to inject drugs, reinfection occurs at about 2 to 6 per 100 person-years; because the antibody is already reactive, reinfection can only be detected by RNA.

Symptoms that can go with it

  • Usually none; most people with chronic hepatitis C feel well for 20 to 30 years
  • Fatigue, poor concentration, mild right upper abdominal discomfort or joint aches in some people with chronic infection
  • Jaundice, dark urine, pale stools, nausea and loss of appetite in the minority who have symptoms during acute infection
  • Easy bruising, spider-like blood vessels on the skin, swollen ankles or a swollen abdomen as cirrhosis develops
  • Confusion, drowsiness or vomiting blood in advanced liver disease, which are emergencies
  • Extrahepatic signs: a purple rash on the legs with joint pain and numbness (cryoglobulinemia), blistering on the backs of the hands (porphyria cutanea tarda), lichen planus, kidney inflammation, or new type 2 diabetes
  • Nothing at all with a resolved infection or false-positive antibody

Non-reactive (negative) hepatitis C antibody

A non-reactive hepatitis C antibody means no antibodies to the virus were found. For the great majority of people, including everyone having a one-time screening test without a recent exposure, this means you have never had hepatitis C and nothing more needs to be done. If you have ongoing risk, such as current injection drug use, the CDC recommends repeating the test periodically (often yearly), because a non-reactive result only describes the past up to about 6 months before the blood draw.

The window period is the main caveat. Antibodies appear on average 8 to 11 weeks after exposure, and in a small number of people not until 6 months. HCV RNA, by contrast, is detectable within 1 to 2 weeks. After a needlestick, a sexual exposure to a known positive partner, or a recent episode of shared injection equipment, the standard approach is an RNA test at 3 to 6 weeks and an antibody test at 4 to 6 months; symptoms of acute hepatitis in the meantime (fatigue, nausea, dark urine, jaundice) should prompt an immediate RNA test.

A non-reactive antibody is also less reliable in people whose immune systems cannot make a full antibody response: advanced HIV with a low CD4 count, long-term hemodialysis, organ transplant recipients, people on strong immunosuppressive drugs, and those with inherited antibody deficiencies. In these groups a negative antibody does not exclude infection and HCV RNA is used for screening when there is any clinical suspicion, such as unexplained raised liver enzymes. Very rarely, people who cleared an infection decades ago lose detectable antibody; this has no practical consequence.

Common causes

  1. Never infected with hepatitis C

    The expected result in more than 98 percent of US adults having a routine screening test, and the end of the work-up when there has been no exposure in the past 6 months.

  2. Window period after a recent exposure

    Antibodies take an average of 8 to 11 weeks, occasionally up to 6 months, to appear. An exposure within that time needs HCV RNA now and a repeat antibody at 4 to 6 months.

  3. Impaired antibody production

    Advanced HIV, hemodialysis, organ transplantation, chemotherapy, rituximab and other immunosuppressants, and primary antibody deficiencies can leave an infected person antibody-negative. HCV RNA is the screening test in these situations.

  4. Resolved infection with waned antibody

    Uncommon, but antibody levels can fall below the detection threshold many years after spontaneous clearance, particularly in people with weakened immunity. There is no current infection and no action is needed.

  5. Assay or sample issues

    Mislabeled or hemolyzed samples and, rarely, assay failures occur. If a non-reactive result conflicts with raised liver enzymes or a known exposure, repeat it with an RNA test.

Symptoms that can go with it

  • None; a non-reactive result does not cause symptoms
  • Fatigue, nausea, dark urine or jaundice within weeks of a possible exposure should prompt an HCV RNA test regardless of the antibody result
  • Persistently raised ALT or AST with a non-reactive antibody warrant an RNA test if you are immunosuppressed, and a look at other causes (fatty liver, alcohol, hepatitis B, medications) if you are not

Read it alongside

  • HCV RNA (viral load) — the test that decides whether a reactive antibody means current infection; also the test of response 12 weeks after treatment ends.
  • ALT and AST — raised in about two thirds of people with chronic hepatitis C, often fluctuating; a normal ALT does not exclude significant fibrosis.
  • Platelet count — a count under 150,000/µL in someone with hepatitis C is an early sign of cirrhosis and portal hypertension.
  • FIB-4 score (age, AST, ALT, platelets) or liver elastography — estimates fibrosis; a FIB-4 under 1.45 makes advanced fibrosis unlikely and above 3.25 makes it likely, guiding how urgently to treat and whether cancer surveillance is needed.
  • Albumin, bilirubin and INR — fall, rise and rise respectively as liver function declines; used to stage cirrhosis.
  • Hepatitis B surface antigen, core antibody and surface antibody — co-infection is common and hepatitis B can reactivate during hepatitis C treatment; non-immune people should be vaccinated.
  • HIV test — shared risk factors; co-infection speeds liver damage and changes management.
  • Hepatitis A antibody — to document immunity or the need for vaccination, since hepatitis A on top of chronic liver disease is more severe.

What usually happens next

  1. If your antibody is reactive and no RNA result is shown, ask for HCV RNA (ideally on the same sample); do not wait months for a repeat antibody, which will not change.
  2. If RNA is detected, expect baseline tests (ALT, AST, platelets, albumin, bilirubin, INR, hepatitis B and HIV tests, a FIB-4 calculation or elastography) and a referral or direct prescription for direct-acting antiviral treatment; most people are eligible without a specialist, and treatment is 8 to 12 weeks of tablets.
  3. If RNA is not detected after a reactive antibody, a repeat RNA some months later confirms resolution; after that no further testing is needed unless you have a new exposure, in which case RNA, not antibody, is the test.
  4. Avoid alcohol, or keep it minimal, until the virus is cleared and the liver has been assessed; review medicines and supplements with your clinician; get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B if not immune.
  5. If you are pregnant with a reactive antibody and detectable RNA, treatment is deferred until after delivery, breastfeeding is safe unless nipples are cracked and bleeding, and your baby should have an RNA test at 2 to 6 months of age.
  6. Tell anyone who shared injection equipment with you, and current sexual partners if you or they have HIV or other risk factors, so they can be tested; household contacts should not share razors or toothbrushes.

Diet, lifestyle and natural levers with evidence

What can move anti-HCV once the cause is known. Nothing here replaces finding the cause.

Time the test correctly after an exposure

Strong evidence

Nothing dietary or herbal changes a hepatitis C antibody result, but timing changes its meaning. HCV RNA is detectable 1 to 2 weeks after exposure; antibody appears at an average of 8 to 11 weeks and in nearly everyone by 6 months. After a needlestick or other defined exposure, guidelines advise RNA at 3 to 6 weeks and antibody at 4 to 6 months, and an RNA test straight away if symptoms of hepatitis develop. A non-reactive antibody drawn 3 weeks after an exposure is not reassuring; the same result at 6 months is.

Alcohol: abstain or keep intake minimal while infected

Strong evidence

Alcohol and hepatitis C multiply each other's damage. In a meta-analysis of 20 studies, heavy drinking (roughly 30 to 80 g of alcohol a day, or more than 2 to 5 standard drinks) in people with chronic hepatitis C increased the risk of cirrhosis about 2.3-fold, and cohort studies show faster fibrosis progression at even moderate intakes. There is no established safe level during active infection, and most liver specialists advise abstinence until the virus is cleared and the liver reassessed. After clearance, light drinking carries much less risk unless cirrhosis is already present.

Coffee

Moderate evidence

In the HALT-C cohort of people with advanced hepatitis C, those drinking 3 or more cups of coffee a day had about half the rate of disease progression (liver failure, cancer or death) over 4 years compared with non-drinkers, and meta-analyses across liver diseases find roughly 35 to 40 percent lower risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer per 2 extra cups a day. The association is consistent and dose-dependent, though not proven causal. Decaffeinated coffee shows a weaker effect.

Not a treatment for hepatitis C. Caffeine can worsen reflux, insomnia and palpitations; filtered coffee avoids the cholesterol-raising effect of unfiltered brews.

Weight, insulin resistance and fatty liver

Moderate evidence

Coexisting fatty liver and insulin resistance roughly double the rate of fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis C and persist as risks after the virus is cleared. In trials, losing 7 to 10 percent of body weight through diet and exercise reduces liver fat and inflammation, and improves ALT, in people with fatty liver with or without hepatitis C. Managing diabetes, blood pressure and lipids matters for the same reason: after a sustained virologic response, metabolic liver disease becomes the main remaining threat to the liver.

Avoid liver-toxic supplements and unneeded iron

Moderate evidence

Herbal and dietary supplements now account for about 20 percent of drug-induced liver injury in US registries. Products with documented liver toxicity include kava, high-dose green tea extract, comfrey, chaparral, germander, bodybuilding and weight-loss blends, and vitamin A above 10,000 IU a day; the damaged liver tolerates these less well. Chronic hepatitis C also causes mild iron accumulation in about a third of people, so iron supplements should be taken only for a documented deficiency. Milk thistle (silymarin) is popular but a large randomized trial in hepatitis C found no effect on ALT or viral load.

Tell your clinician everything you take, including teas and powders; some supplements also interact with antiviral tablets (St John's wort in particular must not be taken with direct-acting antivirals).

When to see a clinician promptly

  • Yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, or severe nausea and vomiting with a reactive result or after a possible exposure: acute hepatitis needs assessment within a day.
  • Confusion, unusual drowsiness, vomiting blood or passing black tarry stools, or rapidly increasing abdominal swelling in anyone with hepatitis C: signs of liver failure or bleeding varices, call emergency services.
  • A reactive antibody with no HCV RNA result, or RNA detected and no plan for treatment: everyone with current infection should be linked to care within weeks, not months.
  • A needlestick, sexual exposure or shared injection equipment with someone known to have hepatitis C within the last 6 months, to arrange RNA testing now and antibody testing at 4 to 6 months.
  • A reactive antibody during pregnancy, so that delivery, breastfeeding and infant testing can be planned.
  • Known hepatitis C with cirrhosis and no liver ultrasound in the past 6 months; liver cancer surveillance continues even after the virus has been cleared.

Frequently asked questions

What does hepatitis C antibody reactive mean?

It means your blood contains antibodies to the hepatitis C virus, so you have been infected at some point. It does not tell you whether you still have the virus: about 25 percent of people clear it on their own and everyone who has been successfully treated has cleared it, yet the antibody stays positive for life. The HCV RNA test, usually run automatically on the same sample, gives the answer: RNA detected means current infection; RNA not detected means the infection is gone or the antibody was a false positive.

Can hepatitis C antibody be positive but RNA negative?

Yes, and it is common: in US screening programs about a quarter of reactive antibodies have no detectable RNA. It means either a past infection that your immune system cleared, a past infection that was treated, or a false-positive antibody. You are not infectious, you do not have active hepatitis C, and you need no treatment. A repeat RNA test a few months later is reasonable to confirm, and if you have ongoing risk, future checks for reinfection use RNA because the antibody will always be reactive.

What does hepatitis C antibody non reactive mean?

No antibodies to hepatitis C were found, which for most people means they have never been infected. The two situations where it is not the final word are a possible exposure within the last 6 months, because antibodies take an average of 2 to 3 months to appear, and significant immunosuppression (advanced HIV, dialysis, transplant), where antibody production can fail. In both, an HCV RNA test is used instead.

How soon after exposure does a hepatitis C antibody test turn positive?

On average 8 to 11 weeks after exposure, with almost everyone positive by 6 months. HCV RNA becomes detectable much earlier, usually within 1 to 2 weeks. After a needlestick or similar exposure, the standard schedule is an RNA test at 3 to 6 weeks and an antibody test at 4 to 6 months, plus an immediate RNA test if you develop symptoms of hepatitis in between.

Can a hepatitis C antibody test be a false positive?

Yes. In people with no risk factors, a low-signal reactive result is a false positive more often than not. Autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid factor, high immunoglobulin levels, recent infections or vaccinations, and pregnancy can all trigger a reactive result. The signal-to-cutoff ratio helps (high ratios are true positives more than 95 percent of the time), but HCV RNA is what settles it: a false positive has no detectable RNA, and a second antibody test of a different design is often non-reactive.

Will my hepatitis C antibody go away after treatment?

No. The antibody remains reactive for life after successful treatment, just as it does after spontaneous clearance. The marker of a successful outcome is HCV RNA not detected 12 weeks after the end of treatment (a sustained virologic response), after which relapse is very rare. Any future test for reinfection has to be an RNA test, and insurance or employment forms should record 'antibody positive, RNA negative, treated' rather than 'hepatitis C positive'.

Does a reactive hepatitis C antibody mean I am contagious?

Only if HCV RNA is detected. With RNA not detected there is no virus to transmit. With RNA detected, the virus spreads through blood: shared needles and injecting equipment, shared razors, toothbrushes or lancets, unsterile tattoos and piercings, and from mother to baby at birth (about 6 percent). It is not spread by hugging, kissing, coughing, sharing food or utensils, or breastfeeding. Sexual transmission is uncommon between monogamous heterosexual partners but higher with HIV, multiple partners or practices involving blood.

What is the S/CO ratio on a hepatitis C antibody test?

The signal-to-cutoff ratio is how strongly your sample reacted compared with the threshold for calling it reactive. A ratio of 1.0 is the cutoff; values just above it are weak reactives that are often false positives, while values above an assay-specific threshold (about 3.8 on some platforms, 8 to 11 on others) are true positives more than 95 percent of the time. The ratio is a guide to how likely the antibody is genuine, not a measure of how much virus you have; that is the job of the RNA viral load.

References

  1. Hepatitis C test. MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine (2023)View source
  2. Clinical screening and diagnosis for hepatitis C. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024)View source
  3. Schillie S, Wester C, Osborne M, Wesolowski L, Ryerson AB. CDC recommendations for hepatitis C screening among adults — United States, 2020. MMWR Recommendations and Reports (2020)
  4. Testing for HCV infection: an update of guidance for clinicians and laboratorians. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2013)
  5. Owens DK, Davidson KW, Krist AH, et al.. Screening for hepatitis C virus infection in adolescents and adults: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA (2020)
  6. Micallef JM, Kaldor JM, Dore GJ. Spontaneous viral clearance following acute hepatitis C infection: a systematic review of longitudinal studies. Journal of Viral Hepatitis (2006)
  7. Falade-Nwulia O, Suarez-Cuervo C, Nelson DR, Fried MW, Segal JB, Sulkowski MS. Oral direct-acting agent therapy for hepatitis C virus infection: a systematic review. Annals of Internal Medicine (2017)
  8. Hutchinson SJ, Bird SM, Goldberg DJ. Influence of alcohol on the progression of hepatitis C virus infection: a meta-analysis. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2005)
  9. Freedman ND, Everhart JE, Lindsay KL, et al.. Coffee intake is associated with lower rates of liver disease progression in chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology (2009)
  10. Fried MW, Navarro VJ, Afdhal N, et al.. Effect of silymarin (milk thistle) on liver disease in patients with chronic hepatitis C unsuccessfully treated with interferon therapy: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA (2012)
  11. Hepatitis C. Mayo Clinic (2023)View source
  12. Hepatitis C, chronic. Merck Manual Professional Version (2024)

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This page is educational and is not medical advice or a diagnosis. Lab results have to be interpreted together with your history, symptoms and other results by a clinician who knows you. Do not start or stop a supplement to change a lab value before the cause is known.