Laboratory Testing for Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C: Diagnostic Approach

April 2008

Diagnosis of Hepatitis C begins by having a high index of suspicion, especially in those with high-risk behavior, such as injection drug use.

Laboratory tests can help us screen and confirm presence of Hepatitis C. Usually, it is advised to begin with screening assay for Hepatitis C Total Antibody. Currently in the United States, there are enzyme immunoassay (EIA, ELISA) and chemiluminescence immunoassay (CIA) that are FDA-approved for such screening test purposes.

Once the screening test results found to be positive, one can confirm the Hepatitis C by either using recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) for the Hepatitis C Total Antibody or by qualitative or quantitative molecular tests for presence or absence of Hepatitis C RNA.

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Diagnostic Approach

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Jump to section:

• Introduction
• Patient Case
• Hepatitis C: Diagnostic Approach
• Acute Hepatitis C with Recovery
• Acute Hepatitis C with Progression to Chronic Infection
• Hepatitis C: Serologic Assays
• HCV Antigens Used in EIAs and CIAs for Detecting HCV Total Antibodies
• Patient Case
• Laboratory Algorithm
• Comparison of PCR, TMA, and bDNA
• Hepatitis C: Molecular Assays
• Hepatitis C: Molecular Tests
• Interpretation of Laboratory Test Results for HCV Infection
• Patient Case
• Hepatitis C: Genotyping Assays
• Patient Case
• Questions?