Hepatitis C Antibody Titer
Hepatitis C Antibody (Titer)
A titer is a laboratory test that measures the amount of antibodies present in a person’s blood. It can be used to determine if a person has had any previous infections, and whether there is a current immunity. Certain employers and guidelines require candidates and employees to undergo titer testing as part of their vaccination policies.
A hepatitis C titer test measures the amount of hepatitis C antibodies in the blood. A non-reactive result indicates that there is no current infection.
A positive, or reactive result indicates exposure to the hepatitis C virus. It does not however, show if that infection is currently active. Once someone is infected with hepatitis C, they will always have antibodies. This is true even if they have cleared the virus, or still have an active infection. If the antibody test is positive, follow up testing is required to see if there is a current infection.
