This is an automatically translated article.
The article was professionally consulted by microbiologists - Laboratory Department - Vinmec Central Park International General HospitalHCV infection has become a global health problem with an estimated more than 175 million chronic infections and more than 4 million new cases each year. Therefore, the automatic immune HCV Ab test was born, which will screen and help in early diagnosis and timely treatment.
Many of those infected have no symptoms and are unaware of the condition. Acute HCV infection can cause few mild nonspecific symptoms, and chronic infections can quietly go on for a decade or two before causing enough liver damage to affect liver function.
1. What is an auto-immune HCV Ab test?
HCV Ab also known as anti HCV stands for Hepatitis C virus antibody ie surface antibody. This is one of the highly sensitive tests, indispensable in the diagnosis of hepatitis C, and works to find antibodies against hepatitis C virus in the blood. To detect specific antibodies (anti-HCV) for recombinant antigens, which represent the most cost-effective method for HCV exposure, but cannot distinguish recovered from active infection, or identify in the early stages of infection. soortruowsc gate when seroconversion . Molecular testing is required to detect HCV RNA.
HCV Ab test for a positive HCV Ab index does not confirm the virus status in the body, but only determines whether the patient has ever been infected with the hepatitis C virus (already exposed to HCV). Therefore, this test only screens for possible infection, not for the diagnosis of chronic infection. To get the most accurate results about the possibility of disease, it is necessary to do a quantitative test of HCV-RNA in the blood, if the result is negative, it means that the patient's body has eliminated the virus on its own. Positive means that the patient really has hepatitis C and needs to be treated.
Xét nghiệm HCV Ab miễn dịch
2. Meaning of HCV Ab . test results
HCV Ab test will have two results as negative and positive.
Samples that do not respond to initial screening may report as undetectable anti-HCV. If the result is negative: The person being tested does not have hepatitis C virus, rarely, the antibodies are not enough. However, it should not be subjective because so far there is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C, so when there is suspicion to perform testing, it is still necessary to be equipped with knowledge to prevent the disease effectively. Samples that respond to primary screening should be retested with another HCV Ab test using an alternative recombinant antigen and a different test format. If the second test is also reactive, the sample is considered positive for HCV. If the results are contradictory, if there are no risk factors, it is possible that the person is anti-HCV negative. If risk factors are present, anti-HCV testing should be followed in the sample and then by a qualitative nucleic acid (HCV-RNA) assay. If the test is positive: There are 2 possibilities
First, the person is likely already infected with hepatitis C. If the HCV RNA test is positive, the person is currently infected. If no HCV virus is detected, the person either does not have an active infection or the virus is present in very low numbers (the patient has had hepatitis C virus) but the virus has been cleared from the virus. the body (only 15% of people infected with the virus are able to self-eliminate in the acute phase of hepatitis C, the rest all turn to the chronic phase.The remaining case is the patient is infected with hepatitis C. Your doctor may order additional tests to clarify problems such as severe or mild hepatitis or whether treatment is needed.
3. Possible errors when doing tests and how to handle them
False positives or false negatives are usually caused by the following reasons:
Incorrect testing steps. Negative controls and negative specimens are cross-contaminated due to high serum antibody levels. The substrate is contaminated by oxidizing agents. The reaction solution is contaminated. To avoid errors, it is necessary to do things like:
Strictly follow the test instructions. Check and clean the tester regularly. Divide reagents into clean test tubes before each instillation.
Người bệnh có thể sử dụng dịch vụ gói sàng lọc gan mật giúp phát hiện bệnh lý
Assess the liver's ability to work through liver enzyme tests; Evaluation of bile function; vascular nutrition; Early screening for liver cancer; Perform tests such as Total blood cell analysis, blood clotting ability, screening for hepatitis B, C. Assessment of hepatobiliary status through ultrasound images and diseases that are at risk of affecting liver disease/ worsen liver disease. In-depth analysis of parameters to evaluate hepatobiliary function through laboratory and subclinical; the risk of affecting the liver and early screening for hepatobiliary cancer. To register for medical examination and treatment at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide, or register online HERE.
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