Which VL test post tx

[sandysf]

Hi all, I am wondering if anyone can suggest which test I should take post tx.  I will have my 12 week post treatment test this week (I was UND at week 4,8 post tx).  I have been using the Heptimax test throughout but not sure if I need that level of sensitivity.   Is there a faster, less expensive test any one would recommend?  My lab is Quest.  If you know the code as well to give to my doctor that would be helpful!  

[flcyclist]

Hi Sandy/Will,  just 2 more days of Riba to EOT.  Thanks for the thoughts.  I'll post an update soon, don't want to hijack your thread.  ;-))  

[sandysf]

Hi guys!  Bill.. thanks a bunch exactly what I was looking for.  I called my doc to have him order it.  I stopped going to the GI I was using during treatment as they were useless anyway, so my family doc is ordering this test for me.

flcyclist - I was thinking of you this morning and hoping you were all done and beginning recovery by now?  Keep us updated.

willbb- hey there!  How are you?  

I am doing great and feeling as though the 7 months of treatment was a blur!

[willbb]

Hey bud ..where ya been!! Are you all done ?

[flcyclist]

Hey Will :-)

[flcyclist]

Wow, 12 weeks post treatment already??  My, how times flies.  Congrats to you and best of luck on the follow-up.

I agree with Bill on the sensitivity.  The following is the test code for the HCV RT-PCR test.  

http://www.questdiagnostics.com/testcenter/OrderInfo.action?fn=35645.html&labCode=SJC

As you probably know, the Heptimax is a 2 part test, using the HCV RT-PCR test first and if <43, then uses the TMA with a sensitivity of <5.  If you do just the first part (RT-PCR) it should take about 3-5 days to get the results.  

[willbb]

Hi sandy..
agree with bill on this ..12 weeks post VL would be far greater than the lower sensitivity tests would indicate
I believe the Quest <43 is #35645

Will

[Bill1954]

For what it’s worth, I agree there’s little utility in ultra-sensitive viral assays at the 12 week post treatment juncture. I imagine nearly any commercially available ‘HCV RNA by PCR’ test would suffice; at 12 weeks post one would expect to have viral loads in the 100,000’s if not 1,000,000’s.

You might discuss this Quest diagnostics test with your doctor and see if it’s appropriate:

Hepatitis C Viral RNA, Quantitative Real-Time PCR
  
Here’s a link to the test page:

http://www.questdiagnostics.com/testcenter/testguide.action?fn=InfectDis/Hepatitis/TS_HCV_RNA_QuantPCR.htm

Sadly, I can’t seem to extract the Quest order number for this test. Your doctor will probably be able to pull this up for you.

Good luck-

--Bill