The hepatitis C antibody test is a simple test that is taken by drawing blood from a patient's vein and, depending on the laboratory, is prepared from several days to a week. The outcome of this procedure determines the patient's next steps.
What is the HCV virus
This is an infectious form of hepatitis - a whole group of complex diseases that lead to inflammation of the liver. It is the most common type of this disease.
The liver is a vital organ and its normal functioning is essential for human he alth. The hepatitis virus (HCV) is dangerous because initially it does not cause any symptoms and this continues for decades, until the organ is damaged.
Hepatitis C antibodies are usually discovered quite by accident when a person is tested for some other reason. The slow progression of the disease can eventually lead to serious complications such as cirrhosis and liver failure. Hepatitis C more often than other forms leads to a chronic course of the disease and increases the risk of developing oncology.
Category of people who should take the test
The HCV virus (antigen) can enter your body through any contact with infected blood or objects that come into contact with it. At risk are those who use non-sterile injection needles, including tattoos and piercings, as well as people who require constant blood transfusions. Unprotected sexual activity or having multiple sexual partners also increases the risk of infection.
Baby Boomers, the generation of people born between 1945 and 1965, are strongly advised by doctors to get tested for HCV. For reasons that have not yet been precisely clarified, it is in this group of patients that the level of hepatitis is very high.
At the moment, the most effective way to determine infection is to conduct an analysis. A person in a polyclinic or medical center takes blood from a vein, then it is tested in a laboratory for the presence of hepatitis C antibodies, and after that the result is given to the hands.
What are antibodies?
Antibodies are the main defense of immunity against foreign invaders - antigens (eg microbes or bacteria). They are immunoglobulins - special proteins - and are secreted by our body into the bloodstream.
Hepatitis C antibodies are produced by plasma cells of humoral immunity in response to the detection of HCV and, after landing at the invasion site, actively try to destroy it.
Basically, they cover the surface of the virus, thereby preventingits penetration into tissues and organs. Also, some of them cause a series of events that lead to inflammation around the cellular area, which makes it impossible for microorganisms to penetrate.
Are antibodies killer cells?
No, but there are killer cells in our bloodstream called macrophages. When they encounter matter, they require a special signal in order to absorb and destroy it. A foreign body covered with hepatitis C antibodies is perceived by macrophages as a call to action and begin to violently attack the antigen.
Hepatitis C is a master of disguise. As the virus multiplies, it often changes its appearance slightly. This process is called mutation and means that HCV confuses our antibodies and macrophages, staying one step ahead of them. Although most HCV is destroyed and eliminated from the body when it is detected, there are always some particles that mutate and therefore are not recognized and survive, confusing our immune response.
Types of anti-HCV antibodies
- Anti-HCV IgG are the first "heralds" of trouble that doctors are trying to find if they suspect hepatitis C.
- Anti-HCV IgM - can only be found in the blood one month after infection. They say that the virus actively attacks the body, and it throws all its strength into the fight against the enemy.
- Anti-HCV total - total antibodies to hepatitis C are, in fact, a general analysis that includes the two previous ones and is the most informative version of the primarydisease definitions.
- Anti-HCV NS - refers to non-structural HCV proteins, which can also determine the presence of antigens in the body. They have groups numbered 3, 4 and 5. The presence of NS3 in the blood indicates that the disease was detected in the early stages, and the 4th and 5th groups are found in the late stages of hepatitis.
Tests for them are rarely done, because they are very expensive and usually a total analysis is enough to detect the virus.
Diagnosis for suspected illness
Blood tests that can detect infection include tests for antibodies that the body makes to fight hepatitis C. Although there are usually no symptoms for decades, the test can detect the disease in as little as five weeks after infection. Because of this and the potential for serious irreversible complications, it is recommended that all individuals at risk be tested for hepatitis C. Test results are usually available within a week or so.
HCV studies are divided into serological and molecular tests.
Serological method
Includes initial tests for hepatitis C antibodies in the blood, as well as additional tests.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the most popular test for HCV.
ELISA recognizes the HCV virus, finds it in the blood, but cannot figure out what type this pathogen belongs to, so you have to perform additional tests to get complete information aboutvarieties of disease.
The undoubted advantage of the analysis is its high accuracy, the possibility of delivery in any clinic and low cost.
Some patients, mostly immunosuppressed and those on long-term hemodialysis, may not show HCV antibodies.
Additional testing may include recombinant immunoblotting (recomBlot HCV IgG), which helps to definitively confirm or refute the ELISA result.
Molecular method
Usually, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to confirm antibodies to hepatitis C. What does this mean? With this method, the virus itself is looked for and used in the current infection, helping to determine the effectiveness of the treatment. PCR is divided into: qualitative, quantitative and genotypic types.
Qualitative tests - valued for detecting HCV antigens and simultaneously detecting the ribonucleic acid (RNA) of the virus. Unlike the serological method, they are effective in the early stages of infection.
Quantitative tests - used to quantify HCV RNA viral load before, during and after treatment. That is, this method allows you to determine the activity of the antigen in any period of interest to you.
PCR tests can also measure virus levels in the blood and are used to monitor response to treatment. In addition, they also identify which subtype (genotype) of the HCV virus, out of the six existing ones, a person has acquired. This information is important when considering the duration of therapy andpredicting response to treatment.
IL28B blood tests indicate if you are more or less likely to respond to antiviral therapy.
Despite all the advantages of molecular testing, this method is not perfect, and other methods of confirming the presence of HCV in the body are required for a definitive diagnosis.
Transcription of analysis
If your test results show the presence of hepatitis C antibodies, your doctor will order another blood test called an HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) test to determine how long the infection has been in your body, as it cannot be determined visually and by symptoms. If the virus is present in the body for six months or more, the infection is classified as chronic hepatitis C.
The lab can run this test automatically if your HCV antibody test is positive.
If your hepatitis C antibodies are negative, you are he althy and no further testing is usually needed.
Window period
Don't forget there is a "window period" for antibody tests. This means that when a virus enters the body, it takes some time before the immune system begins to produce antibodies. Therefore, a test taken too early may give a false result.
It is very important to meet the right time before taking the test. The Centers for Disease Control states that antibodies can show up in the blood between 6-7 weeks afterimpact. If the test showed a negative result, then it is necessary to repeat it after 6 months, since each person has an individual response time of the immune system. This only applies to people who are at risk or have been in contact with sick people.
Further diagnostic methods
Once an HCV test has confirmed the presence of an infection, the patient should seek help from their doctor. There are additional tests to be done before a decision is made to treat hepatitis antibodies. They will help to understand how much the virus managed to affect the body and what methods and preparations should be used. For example, this requires a test for the HCV genotype.
Diagnosing hepatitis C involves performing a complete medical examination for those people who are suspected of having the disease.
Doctors will also recommend blood biochemistry tests to learn about how the liver works. Elevated levels of certain substances that this organ produces will tell about damage to its cells.
In addition to blood tests, ultrasound, CT and / or nuclear scanning of the organ is used to understand how much the disease has managed to affect the liver.
Use a biopsy if necessary, which provides an accurate assessment of the severity of tissue damage.
Other things to know
Any patient who tests positive for hepatitis C antibodies should use additional tests to determine ifis the virus really active.
If a person has been ill with HCV and recovered, this does not mean at all that he has become immune to hepatitis C itself. It is important to remember that once the patient has defeated the virus and has recovered, he can get sick again. The strains of the virus are able to regain viability even after treatment destroys all active antigen found in the bloodstream.
An HCV test will be positive for the rest of a person's life, meaning that you will always have antibodies after treatment for hepatitis C.
Unfortunately, in people infected with the virus with a weakened immune system (including those infected with HIV and taking immunosuppressants), the test can come back negative due to the fact that antibodies are simply not produced by the body.
Treating chronic HCV infection
Unfortunately, at the moment there is no such medicine that could cure the chronic form of hepatitis C. However, timely diagnosis and initiation of drugs can help to delay the end stage of liver damage for a long time.
Treatment includes rest, nutrition and antivirals. In severe cases, when liver failure has set in or organ damage has occurred, hospitalization with diagnostic tests and a liver transplant may be required.
To achieve the greatest result, a multifaceted approach is used. Treatment plans are made individually according to the patient's age, medical history, as well as its type andstage. The ultimate goal is to stop the attacks of the virus and further damage the liver.
In people with active disease, the level of transaminases (ALT and AST) is monitored every 2 weeks, then monthly (as soon as the condition stabilizes). Regular organ biopsies are also needed to monitor inflammation and fibrosis.
In this article, we found out what it means "antibodies to hepatitis C are detected" and when they are not present in the blood, as well as which of the people are at risk and what tests should be done.
If the presence of the virus in the body is detected at an early stage, then the complete destruction of HCV is possible without significant harm to the body. To prevent the disease from becoming chronic, do a test just in case, because it costs a penny, and the price of ignorance is your life.
