A test for antibodies to hepatitis C virus is a simple analysis, which is taken using a blood sampling from a patient's vein and, depending on the laboratory, is prepared from several days to a week. The result of this procedure determines the further actions of the patient.
What is HCV virus?
This is an infectious form of hepatitis - a whole group of complex diseases that lead to inflammation of the liver. It is the most common form of this ailment.
The liver is a vital organ, and its normal functioning is essential for human health. Hepatitis Virus (HCV) is dangerous because initially it does not cause any symptoms and lasts for decades until the organ is damaged.
Antibodies to hepatitis C are detected, as a rule, quite by accident when a person passes tests for any other reason. Slow development of the disease can ultimately lead to serious complications, such as the development of cirrhosis and liver failure. Hepatitis C more often than other forms leads to a chronic course of the disease and increases the risk of developing oncology.
Category of people who should take the test
HCV virus (antigen) can enter your body through any contact with contaminated blood or objects that come into contact with it. Those who use non-sterile injection needles, including tattoos and piercings, as well as people who need a continuous blood transfusion, are at risk. Unprotected sexual activity or having multiple sexual partners also increase the risk of infection.
Baby boomers, a generation of people born between 1945 and 1965, are highly recommended by doctors to be tested for HCV. For precisely reasons still not clear up, it is in this group of patients that the level of hepatitis disease is very high.
At the moment, the most effective way to determine infection is to conduct an analysis. A person takes blood from a vein in a clinic or medical center, then she undergoes a laboratory test for the presence of hepatitis C antibodies, and then the result is given to her hands.
What are antibodies?
Antibodies are the main defense of immunity against foreign invaders - antigens (for example, microbes or bacteria). They are immunoglobulins - special proteins - and are secreted by our body into the blood.
Hepatitis C antibodies are produced by the plasma cells of humoral immunity in response to the detection of HCV and, after landing on the site of the invasion, are actively trying to destroy it.
Basically, they cover the surface of the virus, thereby preventing its penetration into tissues and organs. Also, some of them cause a series of events that lead to inflammation around the cell region, which makes penetration impossible for microorganisms.
Are antibodies killer cells?
No, but in our bloodstream there are killer cells called macrophages. When they encounter a substance, in order to absorb and destroy it, they need a special signal. A foreign body encircled by hepatitis C antibodies, macrophages are perceived as a message to action and are taken violently to attack the antigen.
Hepatitis C is a master of disguise. As it multiplies, the virus often slightly changes its appearance. This process is called a mutation and means that the HCV entangles our antibodies and macrophages, staying one step ahead of them. Although most HCV is destroyed and excreted when it is detected, there are always some particles that mutate, therefore they are not recognized and survive, confusing our immune response.
Types of antibodies to HCV
- Anti-HCV IgG - the first "messengers" of trouble that doctors try to find when suspected of hepatitis C.
- Anti-HCV IgM - it is possible to find in the blood only a month after infection. They say that the virus actively attacks the body, and it throws all its forces into the fight against the enemy.
- Anti-HCV total - total antibodies to hepatitis C are, in fact, a general analysis, which includes the two previous ones and represents the most informative version of the initial definition of the disease.
- Anti-HCV NS - refers to non-structural proteins of HCV, which is also possible to determine the presence of antigens in the body. They have groups numbered 3, 4, and 5. The presence of NS3 in the blood indicates that the disease was detected in the early stages, and the 4th and 5th groups are found in the late stages of hepatitis.
Tests for them are done quite rarely, because they are very expensive and usually enough summary analysis to detect the virus.
Diagnosis for suspected illness
Blood tests that can detect an infection include tests for antibodies that the body secretes to fight hepatitis C. Although there are usually no symptoms for decades, the test can detect the disease five weeks after infection. Because of this and the possible development of serious irreversible complications, it is recommended that all people at risk get tested for hepatitis C. Test results usually come in a week or a little later.
HCV studies are divided into serological and molecular tests.
Serological method
Includes initial tests for hepatitis C antibodies in the blood, as well as additional tests.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the most popular test for HCV.
ELISA recognizes the HCV virus, finds it in the blood, but can not figure out what type this pathogen belongs to, so you have to perform additional tests to get complete information about the type of disease.
The undoubted advantage of the analysis is its high accuracy, the possibility of delivery in any clinic and low cost.
Some patients, mainly immunocompromised and those who are on prolonged hemodialysis, may not show anti-HCV antibodies.
Additional research may include recombinant immunoblotting (recomBlot HCV IgG), which helps to conclusively confirm or deny the result of ELISA.
Molecular method
In normal cases, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method is used to confirm antibodies to hepatitis C. What does this mean? With this method, they search for the virus itself and use it for the current infection, helping to determine the effectiveness of the treatment. PCR is divided into: qualitative, quantitative and genotypic types.
Qualitative tests - Valued for detecting HCV antigens and at the same time detecting ribonucleic acid (RNA) of the virus. Unlike the serological method, they are effective in the early stages of infection.
Quantitative tests - used to quantify the viral load of HCV RNA before, during and after treatment. That is, this method allows you to determine the activity of antigen in any period that interests you.
PCR tests can also measure the level of the virus in the blood and are used to monitor the response to treatment. In addition, they also identify which subtype (genotype) of the HCV virus out of the six existing people acquired. This information is important when considering the duration of therapy and predicting a response to treatment.
IL28B Blood Tests - Indicates if you have an increased or decreased likelihood of a response to antiviral therapy.
Despite all the advantages of molecular research, this method is imperfect, and other methods of confirming the presence of HCV in the body are required to make a final diagnosis.
Decryption analysis
If the results of the study show the presence of hepatitis C antibodies, the doctor will prescribe another blood test called the HCV ribonucleic acid test (RNA) to determine how long the infection has been in your body, since it is impossible to determine visually and by symptoms. If the virus is present in the body for six months or more, the infection is classified as chronic hepatitis C.
The laboratory can run this test automatically if your HCV antibody test is positive.
If hepatitis C antibodies are negative, it means that you are healthy and further investigation is usually not required.
Window period
Do not forget about the existence of a “window period” for antibody tests. This means that when a virus enters the body, it takes some time before the immune system begins to produce antibodies. Thus, a test conducted too early may show a false result.
It is very important to withstand the right time before passing the analysis. The Centers for Disease Control claim that antibodies can appear in the blood between weeks 6-7 after exposure. If the test showed a negative result, then it is necessary to repeat it after 6 months, since each person has an individual response time of the immune system. This applies only to people who are at risk or have come into contact with patients.
Further diagnostic methods
After the HCV test confirms the infection, the patient should seek help from their doctor. There are additional tests that must be done before deciding on the treatment of hepatitis antibodies. They will help to understand how the virus managed to affect the body and what methods and drugs should be used. For example, this requires a test for the HCV genotype.
Diagnosis of hepatitis C includes a complete medical examination for those people who have a suspected illness.
Doctors will also recommend taking blood biochemistry tests to find out how the liver works. An increased level of certain substances that this organ produces will tell about damage to its cells.
In addition to blood tests, in order to understand how much the disease has managed to infect the liver, ultrasound, CT and / or nuclear scanning of the organ are used.
If necessary, resort to a biopsy, which provides an accurate assessment of the severity of tissue damage.
Other things to know
Any patient with a positive hepatitis C antibody test should use additional tests to determine if the virus is actually active.
If a person has been ill with HCV and recovered, this does not mean at all that he has developed immunity to hepatitis C. It is important to remember that as soon as the patient defeats the virus and is cured, he can get sick again. Virus strains can restore viability even after treatment destroys all active antigen found in the bloodstream.
An HCV test will give a positive result for the remainder of a person’s life, that is, antibodies after hepatitis C treatment will remain with you forever.
Unfortunately, in people infected with the virus with a weakened immune system (including HIV-infected people and those taking immunosuppressive drugs), the analysis can give a negative result due to the fact that antibodies are simply not produced by the body.
Treatment for chronic HCV infection
Unfortunately, at the moment there is no such drug that could cure the chronic form of hepatitis C. However, timely diagnosis and the start of taking drugs can help delay the terminal stage of liver damage for a long time.
Treatment includes rest, nutrition and antiviral drugs. In severe cases, when hepatic failure has begun or organ damage has occurred, hospitalization with diagnostic tests and a liver transplant may be required.
To achieve the greatest result, a multifaceted approach is used. Treatment plans are drawn up individually in accordance with the patient's age, medical history, as well as its type and stage. The ultimate goal is to stop the virus attacks and further liver damage.
In people with an active form of the disease, the level of transaminases (ALT and AST) is monitored every 2 weeks, then monthly (as soon as the condition stabilizes). Regular organ biopsies are also needed to monitor inflammation and fibrosis.
In this article, we found out what “antibodies to hepatitis C are detected” and when they are not in the blood, as well as which of the people are at risk and what tests need to be done.
If you detect the presence of the virus in the body at an early stage, then the complete destruction of HCV is possible without significant harm to the body. To prevent the disease from becoming chronic, make a test just in case, because it costs a penny, and the price of ignorance is your life.