Aa
what is heptimax test?
what is heptimax test and shoul everyone get this test?
Jak: You should be a hepatologist!
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Thanks. But it t took me six months just to learn how to spell it correctly.
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Thanks. But it t took me six months just to learn how to spell it correctly.
My previous answer was in regards to Hepatitis C. After looking at your profile, I see that you have Hepatitis B. I know very little about Hepatitis B, so cannot comment on what test would be best for you to take.
-- Jim
-- Jim
Heptimax is the name of a viral load test from Quest Diagnostic Labs
http://www.questdiagnostics.com/?gclid=CIL3gKbSt5ACFQ9_Hgod0B1eGg
It was designed and is being marketed as sort of a "one test for all circumstances" type of viral load test that is suitable for before treatment, during treatment and after treatment. That's because it has a very wide dynamic from 5 IU/ml to I believe around 50 million IU/ml.
Using one test has lots of advantages, inlcluding less chance of error in ordering the wrong test as we have seen happen here time and time again, and these mistakes are frequently being made by the doctor's offices -- no doubt a combination of inexperience and the numerous viral load test options each lab offers, often with similar and confusing names.
You ask: Should everyone get this test?
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Many of us here used/use Heptimax before, during and after treatment, including myself. If your insurance covers it, it's a good choice in my opinion.
That said, there are other very good tests as well, but in many cases you would not necessarily order the same test pre-treatment, during treatment and post treatment.
Another test that would work for all three scenarios is Quantasure Plus by LabCorp which goes down to 10 IU/ml. (Heptimax goes down to 5 IU/ml). LabCorp offers an even more sensitive test (Quantasure) that goes down to 2 IU/ml, but its top end is only 2 million IU/ml, meaning that if you had a very high viral load pre-treatment, it would not capture the exact number. And then there are other tests that make sense in certain circumstances, for example some of the TMA Qualitative tests, that I now use post treatment where a number is less important than knowing if you're UND or not.
Heptimax is a two-part test. Part I is a quantitative real-time PCR that goes down to 50 IU/ml. If you are UND on part I, they automatically run part 2, which is a more sensitive quantitative using TMA technology. Part 2 goes down to 5 IU/ml. But again, they only run part 2 if you're negative on part 1.
-- Jim
http://www.questdiagnostics.com/?gclid=CIL3gKbSt5ACFQ9_Hgod0B1eGg
It was designed and is being marketed as sort of a "one test for all circumstances" type of viral load test that is suitable for before treatment, during treatment and after treatment. That's because it has a very wide dynamic from 5 IU/ml to I believe around 50 million IU/ml.
Using one test has lots of advantages, inlcluding less chance of error in ordering the wrong test as we have seen happen here time and time again, and these mistakes are frequently being made by the doctor's offices -- no doubt a combination of inexperience and the numerous viral load test options each lab offers, often with similar and confusing names.
You ask: Should everyone get this test?
--------------------------------------------------------
Many of us here used/use Heptimax before, during and after treatment, including myself. If your insurance covers it, it's a good choice in my opinion.
That said, there are other very good tests as well, but in many cases you would not necessarily order the same test pre-treatment, during treatment and post treatment.
Another test that would work for all three scenarios is Quantasure Plus by LabCorp which goes down to 10 IU/ml. (Heptimax goes down to 5 IU/ml). LabCorp offers an even more sensitive test (Quantasure) that goes down to 2 IU/ml, but its top end is only 2 million IU/ml, meaning that if you had a very high viral load pre-treatment, it would not capture the exact number. And then there are other tests that make sense in certain circumstances, for example some of the TMA Qualitative tests, that I now use post treatment where a number is less important than knowing if you're UND or not.
Heptimax is a two-part test. Part I is a quantitative real-time PCR that goes down to 50 IU/ml. If you are UND on part I, they automatically run part 2, which is a more sensitive quantitative using TMA technology. Part 2 goes down to 5 IU/ml. But again, they only run part 2 if you're negative on part 1.
-- Jim
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