not understanding results

[kel466]

hey, i recently got tested for hep c, the results came back as:
hep c Ag/Ab ratio 4.13
hep c Supp ratio 3.62
i have no idea what they mean

[kel466]

Yeah I definitely will be going to see someone else plus the specialist. Yeah I don't think my doctor should of used the word dormant. My doctor told me I had no damage, like I said I thought for sure there would be some because I do drink. Will definitely be making a heap of lifestyle changes :) really glad that I found this forum, you guys have been really great and heaps of help, thanks heaps

[Cheesegrater]

It sounds like you are in good shape, but you should still get all sorts of tests done to assess the state of your liver. You may also have or develop some non-hepatic symptoms that are common among those with any liver disease.

You said...
"My doctor told me that I have hep c but its dormant....so I can't figure out how if its dormant it would show up and I was tested at the start of the year and was negative since then I haven't had any blood to blood contact so yeah very confused "

I really HATE it when doctors or nurses call "non-symptomatic"  Hep C a dormant condition.
Give any "dormant" patient a viral load, You can be pretty certain it comes back with at the very least a few thousands per ml if not higher.  This is active virus replicating. This is not dormant.
You have Hep C,  you have a problem you have to be aware of and you may have to make certain lifestyle changes in order to reduce harm further on in the future, to yourself and others.
Yes, you may be in a condition where there is no rush or need to get treated.

I wish they would stop saying it is dormant.  This is very misleading.

[can-do-man]

I would also like to add that when you say you have no damage just how do you know? A liver function test does not tell you if there is damage or not... I had liver enzyme test on a number of occasions and they were fine. Then I had one and they were high so my doctor tested me for Hep C and I was positive, BTW I also had cirrhosis. Please don't miss your appointment with the specialist as this current doctor has really mislead you....

[can-do-man]

Well your doctor is wrong when he says you don't need treatment, maybe not today or tomorrow but soon you will. And when you say this......"I drink as well so I thought for sure id have to have some damage but there's none"......... Drinking will fire up Hep C like nothing else will. I strongly urge you to think about drinking if nothing else....... Glad to hear you will be seeing a another doctor as this was just don't have much of a clue in my opinion............

[kel466]

Yeah I kind of did freak out to start with but after reading up a bit I'm ok with it just confused to why my doctor can't answer properly about the results, my liver test came back all within normal range and no damage,I drink as well so I thought for sure id have to have some damage but there's none, I'm getting a second opinion on Wednesday. Like for my doctor to say yeah you've got it,its dormant and you don't need treatment sounds so odd to me and doesn't make sense at all.

[can-do-man]

The "common" one here in the US is type 1. You really need to see somebody other then a GP... While I have heard that term "dormant" used before it is not the case. Dormant means asleep or in active for the most part and Hep C is always active and attacking the liver. This is not something you should let be swept under the rug, you need answers and options on ridding yourself of this......... You want to be rid of it before you become cirrhotic or it causes you other health issues. Have your doctor refer you to a specialist.

Just don't freak out as Hep C is becoming much more easier to cure and more so if you treat it in it's earlier stages... And yes you should have the kids tested although it is very rare to pass on from a mother but not impossble..

[kel466]

The only other thing he said is that I should of got a call from the state health people but I haven't as yet, i tested positive on the 27th August, oh and he's sending me to a specialist but I won't need treatment but will have to be tested every 3months...

[kel466]

I usually just ask for the works lol so I get tested for everything when I go for check ups. I asked him what type I was and what was the viral load and he told me I was the common one (very helpful doctor lol) and couldn't tell me what my viral load was just that my hep c was dormant, like I figured if I knew how much I had I could figure out myself whether it was active or not. I'm pretty sure the last test I went for was to see the viral load but I haven't got copies of it, I know they sent one lot of blood off to Sydney, if that's helpful to you. My doctor was very vague and unclear when explaining results

[can-do-man]

Before unless they ran the test looking for HCV they wouldn't know as it is not something they usually test for. If you have not been given a genotype or told you had a viral load then I would guess the RNA test has not been run.... As for knowing how you got it if you do indeed have the active virus a lot of people do not know for sure how........ Ask your doctor if you have a genotype and viral load, that will answer your question. Just hang in there.

[kel466]

I'm not sure, I went for usual std check up n hep c serology came back saying detected,then I had to go for another blood test and got the results I posted before. The comment on the result say they can't say if its past or current infection, i can't work out if the tests right and i have been infected how its possible, i don't use drugs, no needle stick injuries and no blood to blood contact that i know of in the last 8months like since I was tested at the start of the year and it was negative then, when he said i have it but its dormant then he told me to get my kids tested because I could of had it before they were born....i have always had regular check ups and have never until now gotten a positive result...hes confused the crap out of me

[can-do-man]

Not sure what your doctor means when he says its dormant unless you only have the antibodies which means you were once exposed to the virus and your immune system beat it back....... Has he ran a PCR RNA test to see if you have a viral load?......... Good luck to you.

[kel466]

Thanks, that was my second test the doctor sent me for as well as a liver function test which came back fine. My doctor told me that I have hep c but its dormant....so I can't figure out how if its dormant it would show up and I was tested at the start of the year and was negative since then I haven't had any blood to blood contact so yeah very confused

[willbb]

It Looks Like you have had the HCV  "Antigen-antobodies " test and it shows a ratio of 4.13 which would be considered a positive result for the Hepatitis C  "antibodies"  (anything obove 1 is considered pos.)

The physician who ran this test should now do an HCV/RNA by PCR blood test to ascertain whether or not you have chronic HCV infection  or it may have possibly been a "false positive" (as this is a low ratio)  or you may heve been one of the apprx  15-25% of people that  at one time contracted HCV and cleared it by your own immune system but will always test "positive " for the harmless antibodies

best and welcoime

Will