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False positives for Hep B and Hep C

I was wondering if this has happened  to anyone else. I was diagnosed positive for Hep B  in 1992. My physician had my labs rechecked 4 weeks later, Hep B non positive,  Hep C positive. Recheck labs 6 weeks later Hep B positive, Hep C core non positive.  My physician who at the time was my boss had my labs check by another physician at Stanford. I had another test done and again it flipped flopped. I was told that I was a rare case and that this would continue to happen. In July 2013 prior to starting chemo my labs came back Hep C reactive  and Hep B non reactive per my Oncologist testing done the 1990's and early 2000's are unreliable. Please help to start treatment for Hep C  in 09/14.
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Avatar universal
Hi Type O,
I'm getting the Hep B vaccine some time in September and I will look up Hep B results interpretation.Thanks for the info.
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Avatar universal
Thanks Dee for sharing. I'm going to request my labs from Oncologist and from infectious disease dept and post.
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Avatar universal
You have to have viral load, not just antibody. Also if you are a healthcare worker, you probably had Hep. B vaccination. Hep B results shown in 4 different readings that sound the same and doctors often get confused. Look up Hep B test results interpretation to see what I am talking about.
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142526 tn?1397090672
Hi and welcome! You found the right place to ask questions.

Like Dee said, that without a viral load test and only having pos antibodies for hep c one doesn't know for sure if they have chronic heap c.
Having pos antibodies and being reactive means that you were exposed to the virus and there's always a chance that your own immune system may have fought it off without having to do any treatment.
Has your doc done the viral load test, it's a PCR by RNA blood test. It will clear up any mis information you've received so far after having so many unexplainable test results.
Keep us posted.. Good luck!
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317787 tn?1473358451
Hi I had a couple of instances of this.  Back in the later 90's I was tested for HCV, it came back negative.  I had a blood product back in the 70's which I believe is where I got it.  So, I was happy I did not have it and went on with my life.  Then in 2007 when my platelets fell really low I was tested for Lymphoma, leukemia, Hepatitis. It was determined I did have HCV with a viral load of 7M.  First they do a test to see if you have antibodies, then they test for viral load, geno type, if no viral load, no virus which means you were exposed but your body fought it off.

Right before I treated HCV for the first time I had a lot of blood work.  I tested positive for Hep B.  Retesting found that had been a false positive.

It is a scary feeling.  The only explanation I got was that the tests back in the 90's were not as sensitive as the ones in 2007
Good luck, Dee.
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