Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Test - Qualitative

Acute HCV infection, Chronic HCV infection, Hepatitis C treatment assessment, Hepatitis C therapy decisions

The Hepatitis C virus causes Hepatitis C infection, which is basically an inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis C can be acute (short duration) or chronic (long duration), with infections ranging from mild to severe. For its diagnosis, firstly, the HCV antibody test is performed, which indicates the presence of HCV antibodies in the body. When this comes positive, an HCV RNA test is carried out, which indicates whether the infection is chronic or not.

HCV RNA tests are of two types: Qualitative HCV RNA tests and Quantitative HCV RNA test. The qualitative test confirms the presence of the Hepatitis C virus in the body, whereas the quantitative test measures the amount of virus present. Then, the Genotype test is performed to determine the type of virus.

HCV tests are necessary to detect Hepatitis C  as, usually, the symptoms do not show up in case of a recent infection. Also, in the case of chronic Hepatitis, the symptoms sometimes show up decades after the infection and when it becomes serious. Acute infections are found in about 30% of the cases and they get cured within about six months after infection. 70% of the cases are found to be chronic and these turn severe in about 15-20% of people.

Hepatitis C is caused by contact with the blood of an infected person. Below are a few ways one could be infected:

• Sharing needles, injections, etc., to inject drugs.
• Usage of improperly sterilised needle/syringe.
• Unscreened blood/blood products transfusion.
• Tattoos or body piercings via non-sterile equipment.
• The passing of infection from mother to infant.
• Sharing of things like razors, nail cutters, toothbrushes, etc., where there is a chance to come in contact with infected blood.
• Having sexual intercourse with an HCV-infected person.

India shows about 1-1.9 % of HCV presence of the entire population. However, this reported prevalence could be incorrect due to a lack of proper data collection; the majority of data collected is from blood banks only and not the general population.

HCV infections are primarily present in people with HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, injection drug use, risky sexual behaviours and transfusions.

Other names of HCV test

The HCV antibody test is also known as:

• Serologic test
• Anti-HCV test

The HCV RNA test also has many aliases, such as:

• NAT (Nucleic Acid Test)
• PCR test
• HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) test

What does the HCV test detect/measure and who is this prescribed for?

HCV tests help check for the presence of Hepatitis C infection in a person. The antibody test identifies the presence of antibodies that indicate a recent or past infection. The HCV RNA test confirms the presence or absence of HCV in the body and signifies whether the infection is acute or chronic. The genotype test identifies the type of the virus.

The HCV test is ideally prescribed for people who:

• Inject drugs or used to inject drugs
• Are HIV positive
• Have had transfusions or transplants
• Have come in contact with the blood of an infected person
• Are children of an infected mother
• Suffer from liver disease or have abnormal liver tests
• Are receiving haemodialysis
• Are pregnant women
• Have had sexual intercourse with HCV-infected persons
• Are adults over 18 years

What are the symptoms of HCV positive?

About 80 % of people do not show any symptoms when initially infected. In case of acute infection, the following symptoms are observed:

• Increased body temperature
• Fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting
• Reduced appetite
• Pain in abdomen
• Dark urine
• Pale faeces
• Pain in joints
• Jaundice

HCV Antibody Test:

HCV RNA Qualitative Test:

HCV RNA Quantitative Test:

HCV testing involves testing for HCV antibodies, wherein a negative test result means that no antibodies are present in the body, indicating the person was never infected with HCV. If the result comes positive, then antibodies are present in the person and infection has occurred in the past, but this does not indicate current infection. If the results of the HCV antibody test come positive, then the HCV RNA test is suggested.

In the HCV RNA test, if HCV is not detected, there is no Hepatitis C Virus in the body. So the person is cured of the infection or the infection got treated naturally. If HCV RNA is detected, the HCV is present in the body and there is active infection; the person should seek medical help immediately.

Once the HCV RNA test comes positive, a Genotype test is performed to confirm the type of HCV. The HCV is of 6 types and 30 subtypes. This detection helps decide the course of treatment and check treatment response.

For HCV tests, a sample of blood is drawn from the vein of the forearm by a health/diagnostic professional.

Test Preparation

For HCV tests, no prior preparation is required. For this test, blood is drawn from a prominent vein of the forearm and no fasting or any other preparation is necessary.

Test inclusions: What parameters are included?

Below are the parameters screened for in this test:

• In HCV RNA test: Hepatitis C viral load. Once the antibodies are detected, this test is performed, through which the presence or absence of the virus is detected.

How frequently should you take the HCV test?

If the HCV antibody test comes out negative, no further testing is recommended. If it shows a positive result, then an HCV RNA test is performed. Once the HCV antibody test comes positive, one need not take it again, as the result will always remain positive as the antibodies stay in the blood forever.

If the HCV RNA test result comes negative, then, too, no further tests are performed. If the HCV RNA test comes positive, the treatment for Hepatitis C is initiated, which ideally results in a cure in about 8-12 weeks. Further tests are carried out as per the suggestions of the medical professional.