Antibody testing

[Helpwanted123]

Hello,

I would like to thank you all in advance. I am concerned over a sexual exposure I had almost one year ago. I tested negative at 7 months after exposure(antibody EIA) I'm just confused over the conflicting antibody window. Would you recommend testing at one year ? or is anything past 26 weeks conclusive?

Again thank you all and I'm sorry for my ignorance of this disease. I wish you all the very best.

[Mike]

An HCV CMIA 4Th gen test would be conclusive at the 6 month mark, as would an ELISA test.

In other words, you should be fine. However, if you are still anxious you could have another antibody test  just to be doubly sure.

Best wishes, Mike

[Helpwanted123]

Thanks mike!

I really haven't been stressing,but I just needed another opinion. My only symptom is constant yellow(not dark) urine and slight pain under my right rib from time to time. I have done research and I'm certainly not dehydrated. Is it true that if it was hep c urine it would appear as coca cola looking? And would liver pain not progress until later stages in the disease? Too much time and money has been invested in finding an answer, which is why I wonder if 6 months is truly enough. I see Lucinda said 6 months is 100% and I see her and you all are very knowledgeable. Again I really do hate wasting your time, but I really do appreciate the feedback. You all are amazing people. Any further comments are greatly appreciated.

God bless

[Mike]

Hi  Helpwanted123,

First, there are no dumb questions on this forum and you're not wasting anyone's time. Please feel free to ask any questions you have about Hep-C, and there should be someone who can answer it.

The color of urine can be effected by a lot of things, such as fluid intake, vitamins, dietary supplements, urinary track infections, disease and so on. 

A light, yellow color is normal, though a darker yellow can signal dehydration. Since the kidneys help filter out impurities in the blood, it is a good practice to urinate clear once a day (drink enough water to do this).

Hep-C does not change the color of urine; rather some types of liver disease associated with a chronic Hep-C can lead to variegated urine color.

Liver pain can occur at any time during active hepatitis, irrespective of the cause  (hepatitis means inflamed liver).

This is because, as the liver inflames (actually it swells), pressure can be placed on the stomach, back muscles and so on. This is what causes the pain (pressure against other organs/muscles due to an inflamed liver).

An active Hep-C infection can cause liver inflammation at any time and appears to wax and wane.

Prolonged inflammation can cause liver scarring, which can decrease liver function. Excessive liver scarring, known as cirrhosis, can significantly decrease liver function and cause a host of problems.

The liver works much in the same way an oil filter works in a car engine- it filters out toxins and impurities  (it does other things as well). When excessive scarring occurs, toxins and impurities can build up and change the color of urine, the stool and so on.

Pain under the right short ribs can be caused by a lot of things, including liver inflammation. If it is persistent or intensifies, I would get it checked out.

Always discuss health concerns with your doctor.

Best wishes, Mike

[Helpwanted123]

Thank you for you're descriptive response. You have been very helpful, and even far more knowledgable then my doctor.

My doctor wouldn't even test me due to the "low risk" situation. With concern I still tested at 12 and past 26 weeks past exposure at quest diagnostics. As I said before the test was an EIA and signal to cutoff was 1.0 .

So my question is in regards to you're first post. Would this be a good test? Is it 4th generation? It's all pretty confusing.

I'm sure if there was something truly wrong it would have shown on my ultrasound (even though it was early on) ,bloodwork or urinalysis .

You say you think i should be fine and I really do believe that, but I'm a person of certainty. Do you agree with Lucinda on the 100% at 6 months?

I understand you are not a doctor. I'm just looking for opinions.

This will be my final post and again I thank you for all you're responses. You seem to be a great guy and you're time here is very appreciated.

[Mike]

Yes. I agree with Lucinda. The ELISA is 100% conclusive at 6 months.

The CMIA 4Th Generation is simply an updated ELISA and can detect an infection earlier (it is said to be conclusive at 6-8 weeks). This means it can detect the antibodies earlier.

However, once you reach the test's conclusive range - conclusive is conclusive.

Best wishes, Mike