Serum test vs. HCV PCR EDTA blood

[reluctant]

I am supposedly one of the "success" stories but I just got a shock. I was Gen type 2, did a tough 6 months (lousy white and red count)therapy, cleared early and then had negatives on PCR tests at the end and 6 months later. Now one year later I had a follow-up blood test and the nurse didn't quite follow directions (a language problem too--I live in Switzerland and my German is still so-so). She said the test would be back in a couple of days; I said it usually took 10 at least. Well the test they made was for Serum anti HCV and it reads 90.9 MOC (<1.0) positive. I freaked. The doctor and everyone on this forum assured me it was over, I had beat the damn dragon. The doctor was busy but quickly said they needed to do another test (HC Virus RNA -- HCV-PCR Diagnostic quantitative analysis of EDTA Blood)and that my serum would indicate Hepatitis for the rest of my life regardless.

Am I OK here? Is this just a mistake of a nurse and I shouldn't worry until I see the results of the other, correct test? Is it true that the srum will always show a "marker of a status of contact with Hep C" (a loose translation from the German on the report? Thanks in advance for some feedback.

Please tell me that

[HepCBoy]

Yes, yes and yes.

[GrandOak]

Sounds to me like nurse mucked it up and only ran the test for presence of anti-bodies.  The doc sounds like he is running the test that should have originally been run, which should indicate if you are still UND.

As I understand it, if you've cleared you will always show presence of HCV anti-bodies.  Also, if you've been vaccinated for HAV and HBV, you will also show the presence of anti-bodies.

The crucial question in any of these is whether the presence of the virus can be detected or not and at this point it would sound like the results of that test have not been returned for you yet.

Hang in there, it sounds like a good chance that the next words you here from the doc will offer more encouragement for you.  If only some nurses and docs would realize that sometimes their patients do have a pretty good understanding of what's going on and pay closer attention to them, mis-understanding such as the one you seem to be going through could be avoided.

[DoubleDose]

Everyone who becomes SVR continues to show a positive serum HCV antibody test.  This is normal, and does NOT mean that you still have HCV.  It merely means you have the ANTIBODY markers in your blood.  They will probably remain for life, even though you have NO HCV at all, in your blood or body.

Again, ALL individuals who eradicate the virus, and get the SVR still have these POSITIVE antibodies in the serum.  It is not an indication of active HCV, merely a leftover marker from the old HCV infection.  The antibodies MAY remain for a lifetime.  They are not VIRUS!!!

Maybe you can breathe a little easier today!

DoubleDose

[reluctant]

Thanks so much for your knowledge and understanding. Good luck to all of you undergoing the therapy.

By the way, I was distressed for months after Tx because I still felt the side effects...I thought they would never go away. A year and a half later? I am completely free of any side effects--it is like I never took those nasty drugs (and the cure is nasty).

Hang in there everyone...there is a light at the end of the tunnel.