Acute – a short sharp illness that may be severe but from which most people will recover in a few weeks without lasting effects.
ALT – stands for alanine aminotransferase, a liver enzyme that enters the blood following liver damage. An ALT test is used, for example, to monitor and assess the degree of damage in patients infected with chronic hepatitis B and other types of hepatitis.
Antibody – a specific immunoglobulin (protein) produced by the body as part of a defence reaction against an invading substance (antigen).
Antigen – a substance (it may be part of a virus) which is recognised by the body as foreign so the body’s immune defence can react by producing antibodies.
AST – stands for aspartate aminotransferase, a liver enzyme but less specific to the liver than ALT (see above). A raised AST level may follow a heart attack, for example.
Cirrhosis – where inflammation and fibrosis have spread to disrupt the shape and function of the liver. Even with no signs or symptoms of liver disease, the working capacity of liver cells has been badly impaired and they are unable to repair the liver. This is permanent cell damage and can lead to liver failure or liver cancer.
Chronic – an illness that lasts a long time (more than six months), possibly for the rest of a person’s life.
Enzyme – a substance, usually a protein, produced by the body to help speed up a chemical reaction.
Fibrosis – where scar tissue is formed in an inflamed liver. Fibrosis can take a variable time to develop and, even with scar tissue present, the liver keeps on functioning quite well. However, continued building up of scar tissue may lead to cirrhosis.
HBV – stands for hepatitis B virus.
HCC – stands for hepatocellular carcinoma, also called hepatoma. With biliary tree cancer, HCC is one of the two main types of primary liver cancer.
HCV – stands for hepatitis C virus.
Hepatic – anything relating to the liver.
Hepatologist – a doctor who specialises in treating liver diseases.
Immunoglobulins – large proteins found in body fluids and cell tissues that bind to invading organisms, such as bacteria or viruses, to destroy them.
Inflammation – the first response of the immune system to infection, commonly characterised by heat, swelling, pain and tenderness.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) – a test that gives a numerical value to your viral load
Prothrombin time – a test that measures the time it takes for your blood to clot.
Seroconversion – a change in the blood test so that something related to the virus appears. This may be an antigen, an antibody or the virus itself.
Viral load – the amount of virus in your blood