Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients infected with hepatitis C virus and of controls who tested negative for antibodies to hepatitis C virus. Results are numbers (percentages) unless otherwise stated
| Characteristic | Patients (n=924) | Controls (n=475) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean (range) years since exposure by end of 1999* | 11.1 (8.2-20.6) | 11.8 (8.3-25.0) |
| Mean (range) age at exposure in years | 43.6 (0.0-87.2) | 41.5 (0.0-84.5) |
| Sex: | ||
| Male | 445 (48.2) | 224 (47.2) |
| Female | 479 (51.8) | 251 (52.8) |
| Ethnic group: | ||
| White | 783 (84.7) | 325 (68.4) |
| Non-white | 54 (5.8) | 37 (7.8) |
| Not known | 87 (9.4) | 113 (23.8) |
| Country of birth: | ||
| United Kingdom | 740 (80.1) | 333 (70.1) |
| Not United Kingdom | 68 (7.4) | 35 (7.4) |
| Not known | 116 (12.6) | 107 (22.5) |
| Alcohol consumption reported at counselling or first diagnosis: | ||
| Nil | 274 (29.7) | 249 (52.4) |
| Less than 20 units/week | 421 (45.6) | 181 (38.1) |
| At least 20 units/week or alcoholism reported | 125 (13.5) | 29 (6.1) |
| Not known | 104 (11.3) | 16 (3.4) |
| Hepatitis B status at counselling or first diagnosis: | ||
| Chronic infection† | 2 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) |
| Resolved infection‡ | 20 (2.2) | 0 (0.0) |
| No evidence of current infection§ | 706 (76.4) | 390 (82.1) |
| Evidence of past infection, but current status unknown¶ | 24 (2.6) | 8 (1.7) |
| Not known | 172 (18.6) | 77 (16.2) |
*
Excluding those who had died before the end of 1999.
†
Positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).
‡
Negative for hepatitis B surface antigen but positive for hepatitis B core protein (HBc) antibody.
§
Negative for HBsAg or negative for HBc antibody.
¶
HBsAg unknown, but positive for HBc antibody.