If your doctor suspects that you might have hepatitis C, he or she will order blood tests to confirm the diagnosis. The blood tests for hepatitis C include the following:
- Anti-HCV (hepatitis C virus) — This test looks for antibodies (proteins that the body produces when exposed to a virus or bacteria) to the hepatitis C virus. This test does not tell you if you have hepatitis C, only if you’ve been exposed to the virus. If this test is positive (detects antibodies), it is usually verified with the HCV RIBA test, which confirms the presence of hepatitis C antibodies.
- HCR-RNA test —This is the test that tells you if you have hepatitis C by detecting the actual virus in your blood. If the virus is found, the test is positive. If it is not found, the test is negative.
- Quantitative HCV test — This test measures the amount of hepatitis C virus in your blood (viral load). This test is also given after you start treatment for hepatitis C in order to determine if the treatment is working and the viral load is declining.
It’s possible that the anti-HCV test might be "false positive." (The test looks positive but is actually negative.) This is why the first test is confirmed with the HCV RIBA test. A test might also be "false negative;" in this case, the person might be infected with the hepatitis C virus, but the antibodies haven’t developed yet.
Your doctor might also take a liver biopsy to determine if you have hepatitis C. During a liver biopsy, the doctor inserts a needle between the lower ribs on the right side and into your liver to take out a small piece. The doctor then examines the liver sample for hepatitis.
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This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 4/29/2005...#12221
