Hi,
I recently came across the explanation of viral load test result during tx and it rose huge question in my case. On my 8th week of tx I was tested twice (one was done by my GI and another by my therapist). I didn't know that my therapist ordered HCV VL as well, he'd planned only to run the usual panel (this blood test was taking 4 days before GI's and done in different lab).
I've got both copies of results.
On GI test result it says:
NCV QuantaSure Plus (Serial)
Hep.C quantitation 20 IU/ml
HCV log10 1.301 log10 IU/ml
Please note:
This test ,measures HCV RNA in International Units (IU) per ML using real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) technology. It quantitates HCV RNA from 10 to 100,000,000 IU/ml.
The second test result (taken 4 days before and took more than 10 days to get a result) was ordered by my Therapist:
Result: Reference:
RF, quant. 11.0 <14IU/ml
Hep.C, RNA,bDNA,QNT. <3200 <3200 copies/ml
Hep.C, RNA,bDNA,QNT. <615 <615 IU/ml
HCV,RNA NOT DETECTED (<615 IU/ml)
Hep.C RNA/ Viral Load, bDNA performed using Bayer bDNA Assay.
So, as you see 1st test shows that I still have 20,000 units and 2nd test shows that virus is UND (which is great news and I'm loving it, except that it is not clear to me whats going on...)
How can 2 test be so different?
My VL before treatment was (+/- around) 900,000 units based on PCR test.
Any answers?
Thanks in advance.