JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may resolve (viral clearance), persist without complications, or cause end-stage liver disease (ESLD). The frequency and determinants of these outcomes are poorly understood. ⋯ Our results indicate that although HCV infection can be self-limited or associated with ESLD, the majority of adults have persistent viremia without clinically demonstrable liver disease. Further research is needed to explain the less frequent clearance of HCV infection among black persons and to improve utilization of treatment for those infected in the context of injection drug use. JAMA. 2000;284:450-456