Diagnosis of hepatitis C: How to know if you have the disease. Hepatitis C tests. Screening.

Diagnosis of hepatitis C: How to know if you have the disease. Hepatitis C tests. Screening.

Diagnosis of hepatitis C: How to know if you have the disease. Hepatitis C tests. Screening.-If a person has any reason to suspect that they might have hepatitis C, or that they have been infected, they should see their doctor to request a blood test, as the safest way to know if someone has been infected with the hepatitis virus C at some point, consists of analyzing the presence in the blood of antibodies against the HCV virus.

The body takes an average of 7-8 weeks to produce these antibodies, although it may take longer; therefore, if the possible moment of infection is recent and the determination of antibodies is negative, the test should be repeated within 6 months.

Antibodies are proteins of the immune system. The body makes them as part of its defense against infection, as they help to destroy 'foreign' molecules, such as those of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Antibodies that are specific for the hepatitis C virus are only synthesized when the virus is present in the blood. Therefore, if these antibodies are identified in the blood, it implies that the person has been in contact with the hepatitis C virus at some time. However, the presence of these antibodies does not necessarily mean that you still have the virus in your blood, but that at one time it was.

Diagnosis of hepatitis C: How to know if you have the disease. Hepatitis C tests. Screening.

In the definitive test the amount of genetic material, the RNA of the hepatitis C virus, is usually measured by a technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or its variants, hence the test is usually called a PCR test.

In addition to confirming the presence of antibodies and RNA, a blood transaminase assay can also be requested. Transaminases (ALT, AST) are enzymes that are released by liver cells when the liver is inflamed and therefore when transaminase levels are high, indicates that there is inflammation of the liver. However, the increase in transaminase levels is not directly proportional to the degree of liver injury at that time.

If you think you might have been infected with HCV, you should take precautions to protect others, as if you have already confirmed that you are infected with the hepatitis C virus, until you have been tested.

Diagnosis of hepatitis C: How to know if you have the disease. Hepatitis C tests. Screening.

People with certain medical conditions are more likely than others to have hepatitis C. In developed countries, about a quarter of people infected with HIV also have hepatitis C. Traditionally, people with kidney disease are at an increased risk of contracting hepatitis C (through hemodialysis, blood transfusions, contaminated equipment or after a kidney transplant); People who have had other solid organ transplants are also at higher risk. In people who have had hepatitis C and who subsequently receive a liver transplant, it is common for the hepatitis C virus to reappear; About half of these people have a detectable viral load in the year following the transplant.

People recommended for hepatitis C tests include:

• People who have injected drugs recently or in the past, including those who have been injected only once and, therefore, are not considered drug addicts
• People with disorders that pose a high risk of hepatitis C, such as:
• People infected with HIV
• People with hemophilia who have received coagulation factors from concentrates before 1987
• Patients who have been on hemodialysis at some time
• Patients with unexplained elevations of transaminases
• People who have received transfusions or organ transplants, such as:
• Those who have been informed that they have received blood from a donor who subsequently tested positive for hepatitis C
• Those who have received a transfusion of blood or blood products before 1992
• Those who have received an organ transplant before 1992
• Children born to mothers infected with the hepatitis C virus
• Health personnel, emergency physicians and public safety after a puncture or exposure of mucous membranes to blood positive for the hepatitis C virus
• Current sexual partners of people with hepatitis C (although the risk of infection is low, a negative test in the couple gives peace of mind, which makes the analysis of the sexual partners of people who have hepatitis C to be beneficial in clinical practice) 

If the determination of antibodies is positive, it means that the person has been exposed to the hepatitis C virus and another second check is needed to know if the virus is still present (since in 10% -30% of people disappear spontaneously ). A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is used to check for viruses present; It is based on using technical