Freaking out

[crown805]

Hi, im a 22 y/o m, never injected drugs or had a blood transfusion, neither parents have hep c.  I am in great shape and have no symptoms of hep c.

30 days ago i went in for a STD screen and everything came back negative.  15 days after i repeted the same screening and came back positive for HCV antibodies.  I retested and came back positive again for the anitbodies.  I am still waiting on the PCR liver function test.  What are the odds of having multiple "false positives" and is there anything other than having the antibodies in my system that would cause a positive reading?

[habanerohubby]

First I wonder if they screened on the first test for HCV AB(antibody) , why did you rescreen for a STD test 15 days later with no abnormalities on the first test? Anyways the important thing is the PCR test. It is OK to have pos HCV Ab with a negative result on your PCR as this would indicate your immune system fought off the virus, my understanding is that you wouldn't have the disease but be a carrier.

[newleaf09]

The PCR will detect virus if it is there.  If it comes back negative (could not find any virus) the whole thing was just an unfortunate scare.

[Judy0212]

Well, first let me say that I hope your PCR is negative, but since you have antibodies you know that you were exposed to it at some point and either your immune system kicked it --in which case your PCR would be negative, or you have the disease -( a positive PCR).  Many people never have an acute episode, so they go for years and never know they have the disease until they find out like you, that something is up.  I did have an acute case --jaundice, and LFT's through the roof, but then became chronic.
I assume you are wondering how you could have potentially contracted this virus, well let me tell you my story.  It will give you something to think about.   I have never used drugs or had a blood transfusion either, but did get into a physical relationship with a guy who had Hep C, knew it, but didn't tell me, and did nothing to protect me.  I contracted the virus very early in the relationship and found out from someone else that he had it ( after I had already been exposed and infected), and ended up having to call him out on it.  He would never have told me.  Is that some **** or what?!!!!  He was only the second person I had been with in the 6 years since my divorce.  So, the moral to this story is that while it is very uncommon to get Hep C sexually transmitted  ....it is possible.  I am proof.  

[Bill1954]

I just want to let you know that having tested positive for antibodies doesn’t always indicate you have been exposed to HCV. There is a false positive potential for EIA (Enzyme ImmunoAssay) testing; it’s possible to test positive without ever being exposed. These tests are relatively inexpensive, and are excellent for identifying possible infection in large groups of people.

If a positive antibody test is encountered, you should request either a RIBA test to confirm exposure, or better yet, an HCV RNA test to check for the presence of active virus. Discuss these options with your doctor so he or she can help you manage this situation. Don’t get too worried about this; just act accordingly.

Best to you,

Bill

[superinfected]

you can get it from sex, although it's supposed to be rarely transmitted that way

[nygirl7]

If it comes back negative (could not find any virus) the whole thing was just an unfortunate scare.

Well this is sort of true and sort of not right at the same time.  You will be considered a hepatitis carrier for the rest of your life although you did beat the disease off (if the PCR test is negative). There are plenty of places that you can get it aside from transfusions and drugs. You could get it from the dentist or from an injection at the doctors office if they didn't sterilize the instruments properly. Things like that are unfortunate but true enough. But it's not going to do anything to you except remind you every time you get blood tests cause it will pop back up. Best to put it in your medical charts and just try to forget about it.

The thing to remember is - if and when your test comes back negative, you will always test positive for the antibodies but you don't have the active disease. So don't be shocked in the future. Once you have the antibodies you always have them is my understanding.

When you get that negative - consider yourself one of the lucky ones!

[JulioV88]

I'm in a similar situation as you and had a thread a bit back. I tested positive for HCV through the antibody test back in May, but I was pretty sure I had never been exposed. I had the PCR test and it came back negative. However, this does not rule out you having been exposed to the virus which would always remain positive through the antibody test. I then had a RIBA test and it came back negative which showed that the first antibody test was a false positive. For the RIBA test, it seems like they also ran another antibody test and this one also came back positive. So I had multiple false positives. The only way you'll find out if you have a false positive is if your PCR tests come back negative and you then do a RIBA test and it also comes back negative.

As to what can cause the multiple false positives... I've been trying to figure that also with little luck. I scoured the internet and medical journals using my school's access and there are a few papers on this question. Did your results have a low s/co? It seems that in populations that are not at risk an s/co below 3.5 has a very high possibility of being a false positive. Mine was a 1.9 and 1.8. Things that can cause multiple false positives include flu vaccination, having a cold or flu, hypergammaglobulinemia, auto-immune disease and others. You will have to see a doctor to make sure.

When I saw my doctor earlier this month he really couldn't specifically answer why I had multiple false-positives and seeing as the RIBA and PCR came back negative, he really wasn't that concerned. He was more concerned with my high cholesterol and triglycerides levels. I kept pushing though and he said he would consult with a GI expert. Waiting now for my second appointment, but going to take another antibody test before it to see if maybe the false reading has gone away using a different lab.