testing and antibody question

[user1]

i went in for a routine blood test after some slightly elevated ALt/AST levels. The doctor felt it was just fatty liver and decided to rule out hepatitus. to my complete shock, he said i have Hep c! I haven't done anything I can recall to ever get that.

anyhow, the did some sort of viral count test and they said it was below detectable ranges and to come back and retest in 6 months.

This is so confusing, so i asked them to repeat the test and they said the second time around it also tested positive for Hep c

at the same token, he is saying the virus might be dormant or something since i have an undetectable virual count. Is there some definative test I can ask for to identify if i have a the hep c infection/virus etc or not? or are these antibodies only from having fought off the virus successfully OR a falst positive?

furthermore, IF i do have antibodies for Hep C, do they ever go away if there is no virus threat present? In otherwords, will I always have the antibodoes show up and give up hep C virus alerts whenever tested (regardless of not having any trace of the hep C virus)?

appreciate any help anyone can give me in clarifying these points. This is really stressful

[sfwandwow]

i know ur feeling iam going thru the same thing similar... Just pray about it, it will get better...

[sfwandwow]

i just founf out about a month ago at reg MD and they said i have antibodies.. and now i went to hep dr and they are doing viral load.plus they have done a ultra sound of liver..iknow ur feeling its very hard to to deal with inside.ALWAYS REMEMBER GOD HAS THE CONTROLS... just pray.  

[Jakied]

Did you test + for antibody by the screening test?  If so, you should have a signal to cut/off ratio, in the form of a number, probably > 1.  Do you know what this number is?  If your number is >1 and <3, there is a good chance, the screening test is a false +.  To confirm this ask your Pcp to give you the 'Riba' test, which is Recombinant ImmunoBlot Assay.  This test is VERY specific for Hep C antibody.  If this is +, you are definitely antibody + but maybe not virus +.

If riba is +, ask for a Pcr Rna qualitative test.  This will check for the virus and is more sensitive than the quanitative Pcr, which measures for the AMOUNT of virus in people known to be virus +.

I hope your Riba comes back neg.  there is a chance this will be the case.  Let us know how this turns out.  Hope for the best.

[Bill1954]

Hi there,

It sounds as if you are one of the lucky 20% (approx.) that have contracted Hepatitis C at some point in your life, and then went on to “clear” the virus with your own immune system. The definitive test you ask about is generically known as a “PCR”, or Viral Load Test. These tests are quite accurate in determining whether there is any HCV virus (technically known as HCV RNA) in your blood.

Unfortunately, you will probably always test positive for the presence of antibodies. The antibodies in themselves present no danger to you- they are your own body’s response to the virus; however, you will not be able to donate blood, organs, etc. and will have difficulty in purchasing life insurance, etc.

Quite a few patients infected with HCV have no known risk factors for contracting this disease; it is primarily vectored from blood to blood contact- IV drug use, tattoo, body piercing, blood transfusion or surgery prior to 1991 are a few of the transmission risks. How you became infected is probably irrelevant at this point; the focus should be on the fact that at this point it doesn’t sound as if there are any further actions required of you or the medical community.

Take care of yourself, enjoy your health, and live large! If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.

Be good,

Bill