test result

[alice]

this may be long, but i am very confused. about 23 years ago i had been out drinking for 2 nights straight. the following week i started to feel flu like symptoms and went to doc. a few days later i became jaundiced. was sent to a digestive dr. and he measured my liver enzymes for 3 mo. then he asked me if i wanted to know for sure if i had hep c and i said yes. he said there was only one place that tested for this and he sent my sample to them. he told me it came back positive for hep c. he sent me home and i never saw him after that. i recently went for a colon screening and mentioned this to the dr. because i had been reading about new treatments. they took 11 vials of blood and this is the result that came back:
HEPATIC FUNCTION PANEL
A/G RATIO   1.7   (CALC)   11/2/2015
ALBUMIN   4.5   GM/DL   11/2/2015
ALK PHOS   78   U/L   11/2/2015
ALT (SGPT)   15   U/L   11/2/2015
AST (SGOT)   17   U/L   11/2/2015
BILIRUBIN, DIRECT   0.1   MG/DL   11/2/2015
BILIRUBIN, INDIRECT   0.2   MG/DL (CALC)   11/2/2015
BILIRUBIN,TOTAL   0.3   MG/DL   11/2/2015
GLOBULIN   2.6   GM/DL (CALC)   11/2/2015
TOTAL PROTEIN   7.1   GM/DL   11/2/2015
CBC, PLATELET CT
ABSOLUTE BASOPHILS   0.0   K/MM3   11/2/2015
ABSOLUTE EOSINOPHILS   0.1   K/MM3   11/2/2015
ABSOLUTE LYMPHOCYTES   2.3   K/MM3   11/2/2015
ABSOLUTE MONOCYTES   0.5   K/MM3   11/2/2015
ABSOLUTE NEUTROPHILS   7.0   K/MM3   11/2/2015
BASOPHILS   0.3   %   11/2/2015
EOSINOPHILS   1.1   %   11/2/2015
HEMATOCRIT   46.5   %   11/2/2015
HEMOGLOBIN   15.4   G/DL   11/2/2015
LYMPHOCYTES   23.0   %   11/2/2015
MCH   32.1   PG   11/2/2015
MCHC   33.2   G/DL   11/2/2015
MCV   96.8   FL   11/2/2015
MONOCYTES   5.3   %   11/2/2015
NEUTROPHILS   70.3   %   11/2/2015
PLATELET COUNT   237   K/MM3   11/2/2015
RDW   13.9   %   11/2/2015
RED BLOOD CELL COUNT   4.80   M/MM3   11/2/2015
WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT   10.0   K/MM3   11/2/2015
AMYLASE AND LIPASE
AMYLASE, SERUM   88   U/L   11/2/2015
HEPATITIS C VIRAL RNA GENOTYPE
HCV GENOTYPE   TNP      11/2/2015
HEPATITIS C VIRAL RNA, QUALITATIVE PCR
HCV RNA PCR   TNP      11/2/2015
HEPATITIS C VIRAL-RNA QN REAL-TIME PCR
HCV RNA, PCR QN   NOT DETECTED   Log IU/ml   11/2/2015
HCV RNA, PCR QN   NOT DETECTED   IU/ML   11/2/2015
HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIGEN W/CONFIRMATION
HEP B SURFACE AG   NEGATIVE      11/2/2015
HEPATITIS A AB, TOTAL
HEPATITIS A AB, TOTAL   NEGATIVE      11/2/2015
HEPATITIS B CORE AB TOTAL
HEPATITIS B CORE AB TOTAL   NEGATIVE      11/2/2015
HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIBODY QL
HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIBODY QL   NEGATIVE      11/2/2015
HIV AG/AB SCREEN, EIA
HIVAG/AB SCREEN   NON-REACTIVE      11/2/2015
PROTHROMBIN TIME WITH INR
INR   0.9      11/2/2015
PROTHROMBIN TIME   9.8   SECONDS   11/2/2015
AMYLASE AND LIPASE
LIPASE, SERUM   44   U/L   11/2/2015
THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE
THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE   1.4   MICRO IU/ML   11/2/2015
now he wants me to follow up with another dr. for liver ultrasound and more blood work. i don't understand this and of course i will do the follow-ups. also my ex husband did have hep c and he has passed. he was a drug user and had alcohol problems. i do have mild pain in upper right side under ribs. sometimes even a crampy feeling that makes me catch my breath but this not so often. don't want to get my hopes up but it seems from my research that i may not have it. i have had small amounts of bilirubin in 2 urine tests. one place said small amounts are normal but another place said it should never be in urine. also how did the first dr. get a positive result with a small amount of my blood and yet this time after 23 yrs. and 11 vials they still can't tell me yes or no?

[Lynn K]

It appears your HCV RNA test that tests for the hep c virus is not detected meaning you don't have hep c

"HEPATITIS C VIRAL-RNA QN REAL-TIME PCR
HCV RNA, PCR QN   NOT DETECTED   Log IU/ml   11/2/2015
HCV RNA, PCR QN   NOT DETECTED   IU/ML   11/2/2015"

If you only had the test for the hep c antibodies 23 years ago (at the time that was the only test available) you could test positive for antibodies to hep c but not be currently infected with hep c virus.

Having a positive antibody test only means at one time you were exposed but about 25% of people are able to beat the hep c virus on their own and do not go on to be chronic carriers.

I did not see a hep c antibody test on your list but as I said you are not detected for the hep c virus which means you do not have hep c.

I also noticed your ALT and AST tests look good as well as your bilirubin levels.

Don't know enough about your other tests but from what little I do know I am not seeing much there. Just do your follow up to be sure but in my non medical thoughts you look ok.

Just to add hep c is not generally considered to be a sexually transmitted virus. It requires blood to blood contact. If you were sharing needles with your husband you would have a strong chance to have been infected but if you only had sexual relations then it is not impossible but much less likely you could have acquired hep c from him.

If you find out more and need advice or a shoulder let us know.

Good luck to you
Lynn

[alice]

thank you for your reply. i am still concerned but not as much. it has just been a crazy thing, and i hope it's over. i go for my ultra sound for my right side so they will check my liver. so far my many tests have been good. wishing the best for you.

[Lynn K]

Hi Alice

Did you get the test for the virus the HCV RNA by PCR test? If you did you would either get something like virus not detected or a number indicating a viral load and if not detected you most definitely do not have hep c

Thanks for your kind wishes
Good luck

[alice]

those are on there but the result says tnp along with genotype that also says tnp which i looked into and it seems that means test not performed. i'm assuming that means there was nothing to test with. i went for my ultra sound and i'm going to make my appointment to go over all my results. there is also something on my chart about liver cysts. i don't remember if it was listed before i had my ultra sound. always something to worry about. well, thanks for all the great info and have a great holiday.

[gnatcatcher]

Alice, "tnp" is good news -- those tests would be performed only if you actually have HCV, but since no current HCV was detected, there was no point in performing those tests. As for liver cysts, most are benign, don't require treatment, and go away on their own. At your appointment, chances are excellent you'll be breathing a sigh of relief.

Happy holidays to you, too.

Gnatty

[Lynn K]

I see this result you listed originally

HCV RNA, PCR QN   NOT DETECTED   Log IU/ml   11/2/2015
HCV RNA, PCR QN   NOT DETECTED   IU/ML   11/2/2015

That means hep c not detected which is why they did not perform a genotype test

HEPATITIS C VIRAL RNA GENOTYPE HCV GENOTYPE   TNP      11/2/2015

You would not need a genotype test as apparently you do not have hep c per your  HCV RNA, PCR QN test that is the HCV RNA by PCR test or in something closer to English hep c test for virus RNA by a method called PCR (polymerised chain reaction) quantative and your result is not detected which means you do not have hep c