BOOM!
I was diagnosed because of high enzymes. My ALT was 225. It had always been the same since I started getting annual physicals at age 50: 45 +/-.
My PCP said that wasn’t uncommon in people who liked to drink alcohol-regularly, like all the time.
So, after the 225 wake up call, I quit drinking. A month later, the ALT was 125. Another month: 90. Another two months: 50. The next year’s physical: 38.
So, my liver enzymes came down, but very slowly due to HCV.
Knock out the bug…
BOOM!

Yes!!

hey jaz,
yeah, the deal is, at least in the US, is they see if you have the virus present-period. not antibodies, but the HCV RNA itself-qualitative.
if thats undetected or negative, thats it.
if its positve-detected-then a quantitative is done. this seems to be the “failure to communicate” area, as i have referred to earlier. if they can’t find enough virus to measure, its usually shown as below their testing capability threshold, like <15 or <12. my PCP's nurse kept telling me it was "unmeasurable" by email. when I saw the actual test, she was right. there wasn't enough virus to measure. the 8 week test was negative. undetected. she still told me the same thing when she informed me by email: "good news, your virus is unmeasurable".
trying times.....
m

I can understand your concern.
My labs posted earlier were my 4 and 8 week tests. the GI said, in my case, she saw no need for another test until 12 weeks post tx-the “biggie”.

So, I imagine different labs in different countries have different protocols. It seems with my lab, its:
1. Qualitative-Is HCV RNA present? If its not-end of test. “Negative”
If “Positive”, go to step 2:

2. Quantitative- If the v/l is below the concentration level needed to measure, in my case, <15, then thats it. the notice from my PCP's nurse said my first test result was "unmeasurable" in her email. That was the same as "undetected" to her, but not to me. Unmeasureable is a great result, but the word I was waiting to see was "Negative".
I know it makes no sense, but there is something about it. Negative-not present. Undetected-not found.
They should get a big red stamp that says "Shit's Gone" and stamp it diagonally across all Negative/Undetected results.
M

http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.com/2016/03/physicians-greet-new-hcv-drug-zepatier.html?m=1

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