Tested Positive for Hep-C Antibody What's Next?

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LFT - 02 Jan 2006 01:14 GMT

In about 1994 I tested positve for HVC antibody but negative for antigens.
From about 1994 'til 2000 I was monitored by the GI dept of a prestigious
university for Hep-C antigens and whatever else they checked for but was
always negative. Recently my internist checked for HVC antibody which was
+ but for nothing else. What is the testing procedure for somebody who is
HVC antibody +?

Thanks,

LFT

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LFT - 02 Jan 2006 01:17 GMT

>Should have typed: Recently my internist checked for HVC antibody which was
>+ but he didnot test for viral load or antigens.

What is the testing procedure for somebody who is HVC antibody +?

> In about 1994 I tested positve for HVC antibody but negative for antigens.
> From about 1994 'til 2000 I was monitored by the GI dept of a prestigious
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> LFT

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greyhackles - 02 Jan 2006 02:18 GMT

>> In about 1994 I tested positve for HVC antibody but negative for antigens.
>> From about 1994 'til 2000 I was monitored by the GI dept of a prestigious
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>+ but he didnot test for viral load or antigens.
>What is the testing procedure for somebody who is HVC antibody +?

If we're all using the same terminology, the "antigen" tests were for HCV
virions, the logical follow-up to a positive HCV antibody test.

If you've been frequently tested for HCV antigens since 1994 and never shown
positive for active HCV infection, unless you have some reason to believe you
are now actively infected, I'd say count yourself extremely lucky, and go find
something else to worry about :-)

Cheers

/greyhackles

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LFT - 09 Jan 2006 00:51 GMT

Thanks, I'd like to get recent proff that I'm HVC negative.

LFT

>>> In about 1994 I tested positve for HVC antibody but negative for
>>> antigens.
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
> /greyhackles

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kjoh - 02 Jan 2006 02:41 GMT

Hi LFT. After I tested positive for antibodies, they tested for the
presence of the virus with a qualitative test. That came back positive,
so of I went to the local infectious disease specialist who treats HCV in
our town. He ordered a quantitative test that came from Mayo. I didn't
get an exact viral load count, but it was determined to be "high" by Mayo
because it was greater than 700,000 IU/ML. Some labs give the exact viral
load counts. Below is a clip from a user-friendly website called
Janus7hepc.com

Hope this helps,
Kathy

"Unlike antibody tests, HCV RNA tests directly measure for the presence of
the hepatitis C virus. HCV RNA tests may be qualitative or quantitative.
Qualitative HCV RNA tests are used to diagnose hepatitis C...
..Quantitative HCV RNA tests allow your doctor to determine exactly how
much virus is in the blood. This is referred to as the viral load."

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