4 week PCR

Hello got a quick question.

I was told by 'yall to do the 4 week PCR the day BEFORE my fifth shot. Well I have the lab scheduled actually for the DAY OF my fifth shot. Will that make any difference? Should I re-schedule the lab for Thursday instead of Friday??

ALSO TO FRIOLE...

I was reading one of your posts in a thread below about LabCorp. I use LabCorp and the date of my first PCR was 4/27/06. The test is HCV Quantasure Plus (serial). It says it quantitates HCV RNA from-  10 to 100,000,000 IU/mL.

I have been really curious about the sensitivity of this test and wondering if they do a more sensitive test when they check you after you've been on TX. It would make sense but I guess they don't.  My reasonong is in the BEGINING they are trying to find out how much virus you have and during and after TX they are trying to determine how little you have. It should be a more (or the most) sensitive test.

If Quest has a more sensitive test since they are also covered on my insurace, maybe I could go there.
Somebody it may have been you posted about a test that goes from 2 to 100,000,000. I want that one.

[friole]

Labcorp websight with a search for Hepatitis C

http://www.labcorp.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=hepatitis+c&ps=10

Labcorp websight - Quanta Sure Quantivative test by PCR- 2-2,000,000 IU/mL

http://www.labcorp.com/datasets/labcorp/html/chapter/mono/id004600.htm

Labcorp websight  -QuantaSure Plus Quantitative test by TagMan - 10-100,000,000 IU/mL

http://www.labcorp.com/datasets/labcorp/html/chapter/mono/id005500.htm

I am going to have to study which is better - a PCR or a TagMan - because I don't know the difference, but I will ask for the QuantaSure next time.

Kathy

[jmjm530]

That's perfect. Just make sure your blood is drawn BEFORE the fifth shot. Good luck !!!

Regarding different labs, Both LabCorp and Quest are well-established labs with very sensitive tests. At week 4, I did Quest Diagnostic's Heptimax test. It's a combo PCR and qualitative TMA that goes down to 5 IU/ml and is used by many of us.

-- Jim