How to Read Blood Test Results for Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a serious disease of the liver caused by exposure to the hepatitis C virus or HCV. It is most commonly transmitted through exposure to infected blood, but can also be transmitted through sexual contact. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, and it is the most serious of the hepatitis viruses. If you think you have been exposed to the hepatitis C virus, testing is important, as symptoms are not always evident and may take years to develop. If your physician performs blood tests for the hepatitis C virus, you can read the results by following these steps.

Instructions

Instructions

• 1

  Locate the test results for your anti-HCV test, sometimes called the EIA test. This is usually the first in a series of blood tests performed when hepatitis C is suspected. Determine if your result is positive or negative. If the result is positive, this means that you have developed antibodies to fight the hepatitis virus, as a result of prior exposure to the virus. If the result is negative, you have no immunity to the disease and are susceptible to becoming infected if exposed.

• 2

  If your physician has ordered a HCV RIBA test, locate those results. This test is performed in response to a positive anti-HCV test. Determine if your result is positive or negative. A positive result indicates you have been exposed to the hepatitis C virus and have developed antibodies as a consequence. If the result is negative, you have not been exposed to hepatitis C, nor do you have antibodies to fight the disease.

• 3

  Locate the results for your HCV RNA (ribonucleic acid) test, if ordered by your physician. This test can identify if you have an active hepatitis C infection in your body. This test is sometimes called a qualitative HCV RNA and will indicate a positive or negative result. If your result is positive or detected, then the HCV virus has been found, and you have a current ongoing chronic hepatitis C infection. If your result is negative, you are free from the HCV disease.

• 4

  Locate the test results for your hepatitis C viral load or quantitative HCV test. This test is performed if you have an active HCV infection to measure the number of viral particles in your blood. It is especially useful in assessing your body's response to treatment for hepatitis C. Determine if your result is positive or negative. If your result is positive, there will be a number of viral particles indicated in international units per milliliter of blood (IU/mL). The higher the number, the greater the amount of virus circulating in your body. If the result is negative or not detected, this indicates that your body is responding to successful treatment and little or no virus is circulating.

• 5

  Review your results for the HCV viral genotype test. This test is ordered, usually before treatment begins, to determine which one of the six possible genotypes your HCV is. Find your resulting genotype as indicated. It will be identified as one number from 1 to 6. Determining the genotype is useful in predicting the length of treatment and the chances of success with the treatment. The most common is genotype 1 and does not respond to treatment as well as genotypes 2 and 3, even after extended treatment of 48 weeks. Understand that the common length of treatment is 24 weeks for genotypes 2,3,4,5 and 6.