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Hepatitis C Main Forums => On Hepatitis C Treatment => Topic started by: Molloy on February 23, 2015, 11:06:12 pm

Title: Positive Antibody Test, then RT-PCR quant graph test detected no virus
Post by: Molloy on February 23, 2015, 11:06:12 pm

Hi all,
Seeking better informed readers of my recent testing.  I tested positive on the IcG antibody test, (and was terrified for a week), then got a result of 'HCV not detected' on RT-PCR quantitative test.  This latter test is apparently pretty sensitive, gives quantitative readings as low as 15 Iu and can detect HCV (but not quantify it) below that--if you have virus at levels below 15 Iu, the result reads "HCV detected, <15."

Does anyone know if this is basically equivalent to a negative PCR qualitative test?  I.e., is it safe to assume I do not have the virus and must have cleared it when exposed?  Or are the qualitative tests more sensitive still?  Kind of wondering why doc didn't do the qualitative test instead of quant.  Does anyone know if it is possible to test "not detected" on the quant test I took and simply have a reading too low to register at the moment the test was done, i.e., a still active virus?  I want to believe that this second test is the great news I hope it is, but still not sure, and I'm a born pessimist, so that's not helping.

thanks in advance!
Molloy

Title: Re: Positive Antibody Test, then RT-PCR quant graph test detected no virus
Post by: tinybim669 on February 24, 2015, 05:58:41 pm

Ok so from what tests you have had it tells me you were one of the lucky ones who passed the virus on your own. you will always test positive on the antibody test as you were exposed but your body's antibodys adapted and fought off the virus. The quantitative test would show <15 Detected if you had anything below 15, the system can still detect the virus but can't accurately identify how much below 15;  so essentially anything from 1 to 14. So If it says not detected then your virus free.