Hepatitis C is short for viral hepatitis C, a type of liver damage caused by infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Hepatitis C has similarities to hepatitis B in that both may develop cirrhosis or even liver cancer. However, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the hepatitis B virus are two completely different types of viruses. So, what is the hepatitis C virus? The hepatitis C virus is a single-stranded RNA virus. If you compare the hepatitis C virus to a cinnamon ball; the E protein on the surface is the yellowish shell of the cinnamon ball, the core protein in the middle is the pulp of the cinnamon ball, and the viral gene (RNA) in the innermost layer is the kernel of the cinnamon ball. When the hepatitis C virus infects the body, it replicates in large numbers and stimulates the immune system to secrete immune molecules such as hepatitis C antibodies. The antibodies bind specifically to the antigens on the surface of the virus to form antigen-antibody complexes; these complexes are then swallowed up by phagocytes in the body, thereby removing the virus. Depending on the genotype, hepatitis C virus is divided into six major types (1-6), each of which contains a variety of subtypes. In China, the most common type of hepatitis C is type 1b, followed by type 2a. The effectiveness of antiviral treatment varies depending on the type of virus a patient is infected with. For example, type 1b is less effective than type 2a. In order to achieve a better treatment effect, the antiviral treatment plan will be different for different genotypes. This is why regular hospitals usually require patients to be tested for the genotype of the hepatitis C virus before treatment. After a patient has been infected with the hepatitis C virus for a period of time, the virus will attack the liver causing liver cell damage and necrosis (hepatitis). If the patient is not treated in time, the damaged liver cells will become more and more hepatitis, and the body will also make incomplete repairs to the inflammatory necrosis (the unrepairable part is filled with fibrosis). Through the process of multiple damage – necrosis – repair, the normal structure of the liver is then damaged almost irreversibly, which causes cirrhosis. It is like a well-planned city with well-connected roads, where avenues connect paths and finally reach one house after another; whereas a damaged liver is like a city after an earthquake, where roads are twisted, broken and unconnected to each other, many areas become islands and the city is paralyzed. Therefore, once diagnosed with hepatitis C, patients must go to a regular hospital for treatment in a timely manner!