Hepatitis C Antibody Test

The Hepatitis C antibodies test is a blood examination that looks for proteins or antibodies that the body creates to fight against a Hepatitis C infection. There are a few different things that this blood test can be used to look for, each indicating the presence of a viral infection or that one has occurred in the past. The Anti-HCV antibody or enzyme immunoassay (EIA) tests can indicate if there was an HCV infection in the past. The HCV RIBA test detects HCV antibodies as well, and is often used to determine the accuracy of the EIA test as well as to determine whether previous testing was accurate or just a false positive.

RNA testing looks for HCV genetic material using polymerase chain reaction or PCR. This is the test which physicians use in order to detect an ongoing or active Hepatitis C infection. RNA is detectable in the blood of a person within one to two weeks following exposure to the virus. This test is also used to check the accuracy of the aforementioned tests.<\/p>