what do the numbers mean in hep c antibodies test

what do the numbers mean in hep c antibodies test

[Bill1954]

HCV antibody testing often uses something called ‘signal to cut off ratio’ to help read through false positive results:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/sc_ratios.htm

“CDC has recommended that a person be considered to have serologic evidence of HCV infection only after an anti-HCV screening-test--positive result has been verified by a more specific serologic test (e.g., RIBA) or a nucleic acid test (NAT). This more specific, supplemental testing is necessary, particularly in populations with a lower prevalence of disease, to identify and exclude false positive screening test results. However, currently, the majority of laboratories report positive anti-HCV results based on a positive screening assay alone.
The recommended anti-HCV testing algorithm has been expanded to include an option that uses the signal-to-cut--off (s/co) ratios of screening-test--positive results. This can serve as an alternative to a supplemental test in some circumstances, minimizing the number of specimens that require supplemental testing and providing a result that has a high probability of reflecting the person's true antibody status.”


If you open the link, there’s a table that helps with interpretation; I can’t post it hear because of formatting limitations. If you have specific questions, someone here might be able to help with them. Have you recently tested for HCV?

Bill