What is a positive hep C result?
► A reactive or positive antibody test means you have been infected with the hepatitis C virus at some point in time. ► Once people have been infected, they will always have antibodies in their blood. This is true if they have cleared the virus, have been cured, or still have the virus in their blood.
How do you read HCV RNA results?
If your results are:
- Fewer than 15 IU/mL: The virus is detected, but the amount can’t be measured exactly.
- Fewer than 800,000 IU/mL: A low viral load is detected.
- More than 800,000 IU/mL: A high viral load is detected.
- More than 100,000,000 IU/mL: The virus is detected and active infection is taking place.
What is Elisa test for HCV?
Anti-HCV ELISA is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for qualitative detection of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in human serum or plasma. It is intended for screening blood donors and diagnosing patients related to infection with hepatitis C virus.
What does an indeterminate hep C test mean?
An indeterminate result indicates that HCV-specific IgG antibodies may or may not be present. Indeterminate results should be interpreted along with patient’s risk factors for HCV infection and clinical findings.
What is normal range of HCV RNA?
Reference Range: A result of <15 IU/mL (<1.18. log IU/mL) indicates that HCV RNA is detected, but the HCV RNA level present cannot be quantified accurately below this lower limit of quantification of this assay. When clinically indicated, follow-up testing with this assay is recommended in 1 to 2 months.
What does HCV RNA 15 mean?
If a quantitative HCV RNA result is reported as “<15 IU/L,” this means that the quantitative test cannot measure the hepatitis C virus. It may mean that there is no detectable HCV RNA at all, but it may mean that the level of virus is just too low for the test to pick it up.
Can you get hep C twice?
Yes. Having had hep C once does not make you immune from getting it again. You can be reinfected with hep C whether you clear the virus by successful treatment (called a sustained virologic response, or SVR) or by spontaneously clearing it on your own.
Will I always test positive for hep C?
Once people have been infected, they will always have antibodies in their blood. This is true if they have cleared the virus, have been cured, or still have the virus in their blood. A reactive antibody test does notnecessarily mean that you currently have hepatitis C and a follow-up test is needed.
Can I give blood if I had hep C?
No. Even though you have been cured of hep C, you will always have hep C antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that your body produces to try fight the virus. When the blood bank tests blood for hep C, they use an antibody test so if you have hep C antibodies they will not be able to use your blood.