Need help guys

[NewGuy70]

Hey guys,
I'd appreciate if anyone can help me figure out.
I had a blood test that came positive for HCV. I did another test which confirmed that it is positive and came out 50.55 COI  (with the normal marked as <1). through my research over the internet I learnt that COI means the cut-off index but, my question is whether 50.55 COI is high? can be just the antibodies?
I most apreciate any advise
Thanks

[NewGuy70]

Thank you for your support :)

[1oftheclub222]

Like Will said, this looks like it is saying you have tested positive for the HCV antibody, which means you have been exposed sometime in the past to this virus.

the PCR will tell you if the virus is active still.  In about 20-25% of the cases, people will clear the virus on their own.  They will always test positive for the virus though, similar to chickenpox or something like that.  If you have not cleared the virus on your own, you will come back with some viral  count that tells you how much active virus you have in you.  

If you have cleared the virus and have no detecable amount of virus, then you are pretty much good to go and can put this behind you.

If you have an active virus still and think it has been long than 6 months since you contracted the HCV, then you will go to the next step of finding a specialist and seeing what your options are after that.

Best of luck!

[his3707]

Hope this helps explain it.  

http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/hepatitis/PDFs/InterpretHepCresults.pdf

Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA)
EIA detects the presence of antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in the serum. This test is commonly used for initial screening for hepatitis C. The EIA does not differentiate between acute, active, or resolved infection. The EIA is highly sensitive but may yield false negative results in the window period between exposure and seroconversion (the window period varies, but averages 8 weeks) or in patients with immunologic disorders that impair production of antibody. The EIA may be falsely positive due to cross-reactivity with other antigens. The false positivity rate of the EIA increases as the prevalence of hepatitis C antibody positivity decreases in a population.
While the specificity of the most widely used EIAs is >99%, this does not provide the desired predictive value for a positive test among a population with a low prevalence of HCV infection. Among immune competent populations with anti-HCV prevalences 3.8 using the most widely employed diagnostic kits, Ortho 3.0 or Abbott 2.0, the positive predictive value (that the patient truly has HCV antibody in the blood) of the patient’s result is high and therefore does not require confirmatory testing using the RIBA. The positive predictive value of s/co ratios using newer assays such as the Vitros Eci has not been established.
Recombinant Immunoblot Assay (RIBA)
RIBA is a very specific test that detects the presence of anti-HCV in the serum. Like the EIA, the RIBA does not differentiate between acute, active, or resolved infection. The RIBA can be used to confirm a positive EIA in certain clinical situations, such as the patient with a reactive EIA with a s/co ratio <3.8 or a patient with a reactive EIA and negative HCV RNA test. RIBA results are reported as positive, negative, or indeterminate.
Indeterminate test results are reported when partial reactivity occurs between the test antigens and proteins in the patient’s serum. Indeterminate supplemental test results have been observed in recently infected persons who are in the process of seroconversion as well as in persons infected with HCV. Indeterminate anti-HCV results also might indicate a false-positive result, particularly in those persons at low risk for HCV infection. Indeterminate results are best resolved by performing an HCV RNA test.

[willbb]

Hi..If you had two antibodies tests and the s/co(signal to cut-off ratio) was  55 that would be consistent with being exposed to the virus at some time.

Hopefully your doctor then followed up with an HCV/RNA by PCR test to ascertain whether or not you have active HCV and/or a referral to a specialist to run further tests

Best to you...
Will.