Serological and virological characteristics of subjects with occult hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

*AST and ALT values at recruitment; −/−: normal values of AST: below 40 IU/L and 32 IU/L for men and women respectively, and ALT: below 50 IU/L and 35 IU/L for men and women respectively. +/+ altered levels of AST and ALT.**GGT and ALP values; −/−: normal values of GTT: below 50 IU/L and 35 IU/L for men and women respectively, and ALP: below 128 IU/L and 141 IU/L for men and women respectively.***Liver functional tests: total plasma protein, albumin, cholesterol, total and fractionated bilirubin, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and international normalised ratio.§PBMCs viral load on baseline sample.Abbreviations: SE, secondary erythrocytosis; PV, polycythemia vera; HBV, hepatitis B virus; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; GGT, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase; ALP, alkaline phosphatase, n.d., not determined because the amplification resulted in a very weak fragment and sequence analysis did not succeed; PBMCs, peripheral blood mononuclear cells.