Detection of hepatitis C virus in biological material by quantitative PCR method (ultrasensitive)

The determination of hepatitis C virus by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is characterized by high sensitivity and specificity (98%). The principle of PCR is to identify a unique fragment of RNA belonging to a virus after repeated doubling of the sampling genetic material in a test-tube. In the OLYMP CDL branches, PCR analysis are done in REAL-TIME mode, which means that after each hardware cycle (amplification), the amount of RNA in the biomaterial is measured. This procedure reduces the probability of a false positive result to almost zero! This accuracy makes it possible to diagnose hepatitis C. The quantitative method displays the viral load, that is, the severity of hepatitis, by indicating the number of viral particles in the patient's blood.  First of all, the test is necessary in several cases: with a positive qualitative ("positive") detection of hepatitis C virus, as well as to monitor the effectiveness of antiviral therapy and determine treatment tactics. Viral load is measured in International Units per milliliter of blood. Less than 1 million is considered low, over – high. OLYMP СDL has two analyzers with different sensitivities of 300 IU/ml and 15 IU/ml (COBAS TaqMan). If the number of viral particles is less than these numbers, the result is considered as "negative". More about hepatitis "FEATURES OF LABORATORY EXAMINATION FOR VIRAL HEPATITIS B AND C"