Kinds Of Blood Tests For Hepatitis Testing Los Angeles

By Mike J. Carter


Diagnosis and hepatitis testing Los Angeles of viral hepatitis will depend on symptoms and physical findings and blood tests for liver enzymes, viral antibodies, and viral genetic materials. Diagnosing acute viral hepatitis usually is easy; however diagnosis of chronic hepatitis can be tough. When a patient reports the signs of fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, darkening of urine, and then develops jaundice, the diagnosis of severe viral hepatitis is likely and can be confirmed by blood tests. On the other hand, patients with chronic hepatitis due to HBV and HCV often have no symptoms or only mild nonspecific symptoms such as chronic fatigue. Typically, these patients do not have jaundice until the liver damage is far advanced. Therefore, these patients could remain undiagnosed for years to decades.

There are 3 kinds of blood tests for evaluating patients with hepatitis: liver enzymes, antibodies to the hepatitis viruses, as well as viral proteins or genetic material (viral DNA or RNA). Among the most sensitive and commonly used blood tests for evaluating patients with hepatitis are the liver enzymes, called aminotransferases. They contain aspartate aminotransferase (AST or SGOT) as well as alanine aminotransferase (ALT or SGPT). These enzymes normally are contained within liver cells. If the liver is injured as in viral hepatitis, the liver cells discharge the enzymes into the blood, raising the enzyme levels in the blood and signalling that the liver is damaged. Heightened blood levels of AST and ALT simply suggests that the liver is swollen, and elevations may be brought on by numerous agents other than hepatitis viruses, like medications, alcohol, bacteria, fungus, and so on. In order to prove that a hepatitis virus is responsible for the elevations, blood must be tested for antibodies to each of the hepatitis viruses and for their genetic material.

Viral antibodies is yet another kind of hepatitis testing Los Angeles. Antibodies are proteins made by white blood cells that attack intruders like viruses and bacteria. Antibodies against the hepatitis A, B, and C viruses usually can be detected in the blood within weeks of infection, and the antibodies remain detectable in the blood for decades thereafter. Blood tests for the antibodies may be helpful in the diagnosis of both acute and chronic viral hepatitis.

In severe viral hepatitis, antibodies not only help to eliminate the virus, but they also shield the patient from future infections by the same virus, that is, the patient builds up immunity. In chronic hepatitis, however, antibodies and the rest of the immune system are unable to eradicate the virus. The viruses continuously multiply and are discharged from the liver cells into the bloodstream where their presence can be determined by measuring the viral proteins as well as genetic material. As a result in chronic hepatitis, both antibodies to the viruses and viral proteins and genetic material can be detected in the blood.

Another kind of hepatitis testing Los Angeles is Viral proteins and genetic material. Examples of tests for viral proteins and genetic material are: hepatitis B surface antigen; hepatitis B DNA; hepatitis B e antigen; as well as hepatitis C RNA. Some other tests might also include obstruction of the bile ducts, from either gallstones or cancer occasionally could mimic acute viral hepatitis. Ultrasound testing may be used to exclude the likelihood of gallstones or cancer.




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By Mike J. Carter


Diagnosis and hepatitis testing Los Angeles of viral hepatitis will depend on symptoms and physical findings and blood tests for liver enzymes, viral antibodies, and viral genetic materials. Diagnosing acute viral hepatitis usually is easy; however diagnosis of chronic hepatitis can be tough. When a patient reports the signs of fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, darkening of urine, and then develops jaundice, the diagnosis of severe viral hepatitis is likely and can be confirmed by blood tests. On the other hand, patients with chronic hepatitis due to HBV and HCV often have no symptoms or only mild nonspecific symptoms such as chronic fatigue. Typically, these patients do not have jaundice until the liver damage is far advanced. Therefore, these patients could remain undiagnosed for years to decades.

There are 3 kinds of blood tests for evaluating patients with hepatitis: liver enzymes, antibodies to the hepatitis viruses, as well as viral proteins or genetic material (viral DNA or RNA). Among the most sensitive and commonly used blood tests for evaluating patients with hepatitis are the liver enzymes, called aminotransferases. They contain aspartate aminotransferase (AST or SGOT) as well as alanine aminotransferase (ALT or SGPT). These enzymes normally are contained within liver cells. If the liver is injured as in viral hepatitis, the liver cells discharge the enzymes into the blood, raising the enzyme levels in the blood and signalling that the liver is damaged. Heightened blood levels of AST and ALT simply suggests that the liver is swollen, and elevations may be brought on by numerous agents other than hepatitis viruses, like medications, alcohol, bacteria, fungus, and so on. In order to prove that a hepatitis virus is responsible for the elevations, blood must be tested for antibodies to each of the hepatitis viruses and for their genetic material.

Viral antibodies is yet another kind of hepatitis testing Los Angeles. Antibodies are proteins made by white blood cells that attack intruders like viruses and bacteria. Antibodies against the hepatitis A, B, and C viruses usually can be detected in the blood within weeks of infection, and the antibodies remain detectable in the blood for decades thereafter. Blood tests for the antibodies may be helpful in the diagnosis of both acute and chronic viral hepatitis.

In severe viral hepatitis, antibodies not only help to eliminate the virus, but they also shield the patient from future infections by the same virus, that is, the patient builds up immunity. In chronic hepatitis, however, antibodies and the rest of the immune system are unable to eradicate the virus. The viruses continuously multiply and are discharged from the liver cells into the bloodstream where their presence can be determined by measuring the viral proteins as well as genetic material. As a result in chronic hepatitis, both antibodies to the viruses and viral proteins and genetic material can be detected in the blood.

Another kind of hepatitis testing Los Angeles is Viral proteins and genetic material. Examples of tests for viral proteins and genetic material are: hepatitis B surface antigen; hepatitis B DNA; hepatitis B e antigen; as well as hepatitis C RNA. Some other tests might also include obstruction of the bile ducts, from either gallstones or cancer occasionally could mimic acute viral hepatitis. Ultrasound testing may be used to exclude the likelihood of gallstones or cancer.




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