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| Transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) -> TMA technology allows for the amplification and detection of nucleic acids (components of genetic material) in the blood. This test can measure as few as 5-10 IU/mL. This newer test appears easier and cheaper to use, streamlining test processing and producing consistent, reliable, and more rapid results. | ||||||||||||||||
| Interpreting Viral Load Test Results | ||||||||||||||||
| HCV viral load is often reported as low or high. | ||||||||||||||||
| Expressed as copies/mL: | ||||||||||||||||
| * Low: less than 2 million copies | ||||||||||||||||
| * High: more than 2 million copies | ||||||||||||||||
| Expressed as International Units (IU/mL): | ||||||||||||||||
| * Low: less than 800,000 IU/mL | ||||||||||||||||
| * High: more than 800,000 IU/mL | ||||||||||||||||
| If no HCV RNA is found by a test, a person's viral load is said to be undetectable. Note that whether viral load is undetectable depends on which test is used. PCR and TMA tests can measure viral loads much lower than those a bDNA test can detect. Importantly, the blood of an individual with a very low viral load may still contain HCV even though the current tests cannot measure it; that is, the virus may not have been truly eradicated from the body. Viral load test results can vary depending on how a blood sample is handled and stored. Furthermore, results may vary from lab to lab. For this reason, most experts recommend that people should get their viral load testing done by the same laboratory each time, so that results are more comparable. Changes in viral load are sometimes expressed in terms of logs. A log change is a 10-fold increase or decrease. For example, a change from 1,000,000 IU/mL to 10,000 IU/mL is a 2-log decrease. HOME PREV NEXT |
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| This information is provided by the Hepatitis C Support Project * a non-profit organization for HCV education, support and advocacy * � 2003 Hepatitis C Support Project * Reprint permission is granted and encouraged with credit to the Hepatitis C Support Project. | ||||||||||||||||