Hepatitis C Virus Viral Load (Real-Time PCR)

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes liver swelling, called inflammation. Hepatitis C can lead to serious liver damage. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) spreads through contact with blood that has the virus in it.

The amount of virus in your blood is known as the viral load. The hepatitis C viral load refers measure the amount of hepatitis C virus in the blood.

The viral load measurement does not tell anything about the severity of a patient's liver disease or the degree of fibrosis (scarring).

HCV Viral load by Real Time PCR method is used

• To confirm active hepatitis C infection
• As a prognostic marker of HCV infection and is used for establishing baseline levels in patients before initiation of the treatment. It is also useful for monitoring the treatment.
• During treatment to help determine response. If an individual have lower levels of virus in your blood when treatment is started, then there are better chances of getting rid of the virus.

Recommends one-time hepatitis C testing for people with recognized risk factors or exposures, including:

1. People who currently or have previously injected drugs and shared needles, syringes, or other drug preparation equipment.
2. People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
3. People with selected medical conditions, including people who have ever received maintenance hemodialysis and persons with persistently abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels.
4. Prior recipients of transfusions or organ transplants
5. Health care, emergency medical, and public safety personnel after needle sticks, sharps, or mucosal exposures to HCV-positive blood.
6. Infants born to people with known hepatitis C.

Routine periodic testing for patients with ongoing risk factors including:

1. People who currently inject drugs and share needles, syringes, or other drug preparation equipment.
2. People with selected medical conditions, including people who receive maintenance hemodialysis.

Clinicians should test anyone who requests a hepatitis C test, regardless of stated risk factors, because patients may be hesitant to share stigmatizing risks.

Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus. The virus can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis, ranging in severity from a mild illness to a serious, lifelong illness including liver cirrhosis and cancer. The Hepatitis C virus is a blood borne virus and most infection occur through exposure to blood from unsafe injection practices, unsafe health care, unscreened blood transfusions, injection drug use and sexual practices that lead to exposure to blood. There is currently no effective vaccine against Hepatitis C.

HCV RNA PCR test is conducted through a process called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). There are two approaches to this testing qualitative and quantitative.

• Qualitative test: to confirm the presence of virus in body at the time of testing.
• Quantitative test: measures the exact amount of the HCV in your blood. This determines whether you have a high or low viral load.

Other Names – Hepatitis C, Hepatitis C test, HCV test, Hepatitis C virus test, Hepatitis C Viral Road, HCV RNA test, HCV Quant by PCR