Table 1.

Clinical and laboratory characteristics of hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐infected patients and healthy individuals

	HCV patients n = 41	Healthy individuals n = 45
Age range	34–66 years	29–65 years
Sex F/M	15/26	21/24
ALT (U/l)	123 ± 95	35 ± 12
HCV RNA titre (×105 copies/ml)	Mean: 14 ± 11 (range: 5–40)	0
RF	16 (39%)	3 (7%)
ANA	17 (41%)	4 (9%)
Anti‐cardiolipin	3 (7%)	0

F/M = female/male; RF = rheumatoid factor; ANA = anti‐nuclear antibodies; ALT = alanine transaminase.