What should I do if the hepatitis C antibody is positive?

Hepatitis C is a type of hepatitis. If the test shows a positive result, it means that there is no antibody or the patient has been infected with the disease. Patients with positive hepatitis C antibodies should actively undergo antiviral treatment. In addition, they should maintain an optimistic attitude, not smoke or drink, and not do heavy physical work.

1. There are generally the following situations when hepatitis C antibody is positive:

1. Patients who have been infected with hepatitis C virus before: Patients who have not received interferon antiviral treatment have positive hepatitis C antibodies but negative HCV-RNA, and indicators such as transaminase are normal. At this time, a positive hepatitis C antibody only means that the person has been infected with the hepatitis C virus and has now recovered. No treatment is required, just regular check-ups.

2. Patients with hepatitis C: If the hepatitis C antibody is positive and the HCV-RNA is positive at the same time, regardless of whether the liver function is abnormal, it can be determined that the patient has hepatitis C. If there are no contraindications to interferon and ribavirin, antiviral treatment should be carried out.

3. Patients with autoimmune hepatitis: Patients with autoimmune hepatitis may also test positive for hepatitis C antibodies. At this time, we cannot simply use the positive hepatitis C antibody to indicate that the patient has hepatitis C. We can further examine relevant indicators of the immune system and HCVRNA quantification.

4. False positive: Interference from rheumatoid factor (RF) and hyperimmunoglobulinemia may also result in positive hepatitis C antibody. Whether the patient has hepatitis C should be judged based on risk factors such as history of blood transfusion, history of intravenous drug abuse and HCV-RNA.

5. Eliminate errors: Multiple checks should be conducted to eliminate detection errors.

2. What are the treatments for hepatitis C antibody positive?

1. You can be diagnosed with hepatitis C virus infection and further tests of liver function, HCV RNA, etc. are needed. If liver function is abnormal and the viral load is very high, you should receive standardized treatment for hepatitis C, including liver protection and, more importantly, antiviral treatment.

2. If you suffer from hepatitis C, in addition to active treatment, you should maintain an optimistic attitude in life, quit drinking, and avoid being too tired.