As always, the information provided here is a basic guide.
You should consult your doctor for specific questions and explanations.
Blood Test Explanations:
Albumin - a test often used in screening
for liver disorders by testing the concentration of the albumin protein.
As a liver gets damaged, the concentration of albumin in the blood typically
drops. Back to Hep C Tests
Alanine Transaminase - is an enzyme
predominantly found in liver and kidney cells and often used as an early
indicator of liver damage. As a liver becomes damaged it releases more
Alanine Transaminase into the blood stream. Back to
Hep C Tests
Alkaline Phosphatase - is an enzyme
predominantly found in liver and bone cells and often used as an indicator
of liver disease or bone disorder. ALP usually increases due to issues
with bile ducts, liver damage, or liver and bone cancers. Back
to Hep C Tests
Aspartate Transaminase - is an enzyme
where the highest concentrations are found in the heart and liver. AST
is often used to indicate liver disorder. As liver cells become injured
they release AST into the blood stream. Back to Hep
C Tests
Bilirubin, Total - is a dark yellow
pigment that results from the partial break down of red blood cells.
Normally a person's liver filters out the bilirubin, makes it water-soluble
then sends it out to be broken down. If bilirubin counts get too high,
a person may become jaundice. While there are several reasons that this
can happen it is frequently due to blockages in bile ducts or the inability
of the liver to process the bilirubin fast enough. Back
to Hep C Tests
BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) - measures
the amount of Nitrogen in the blood. The liver produces blood urea nitrogen
(ammonia) as it breaks down proteins. The ammonia is then released into
the blood stream where it is filtered out by the kidneys for excretion.
If the liver is incapable of processing the proteins due to damage the
BUN may drop as a result. In cases where the BUN is elevated either
the liver is producing abnormally high amounts of ammonia or the kidneys
are not filtering the ammonia as efficiently as they should. Back
to Hep C Tests
Calcium - measures the amount
of calcium in the blood sample. This is important because calcium is
essential to blood clotting. Without enough calcium present a bleeding
disorder is much more difficult to manage. Back to
Hep C Tests
Carbon Dioxide, Bicarbonate - measures
the amount of CO2 in the blood. Bicarbinate is an electrolyte and one
of the key players in maintaining a pH balance in the body. This test
is normally ran along with other tests to identify electrolyte imbalances.
Back to Hep C Tests
CD4 T-cells - are lymphocytes
also known as Helper Cells. CD4s are a large part of a person's immune
response as identify foreign bodies and infected cells, "flagging"
them for removal by the CD8s. Back to HIV Tests
CD4 Percentage - is simply the
ratio of CD4 cells to all lymphocytes in the blood sample. CD4% = CD4/
(CD4 + CD8) This percentage is frequently used as an indicator of overall
imune health. The higher the percentage usually means a stronger immune
system. Back to HIV Tests
CD8 T-cells - are lymphocytes also
known as suppressor cells. CD8 cells destroy infected cells, and produce
antiviral substances that help fight infection. Back
to HIV Tests
Chloride - is an electrolyte
and helps regulate the hydration and pH balance in the body. Back
to Hep C Tests
Clotting Factor Antigen - quantifies
the number of factor protein molecules in the blood sample for a specific
clotting factor. Back to Bleeding Disorders Tests
Clotting Factor Inhibitor - measures
the quantity of antibodies to a specific clotting factor in the blood
sample. Back to Bleeding Disorders Tests
Coagulation Factor Assay -
looks at the activity level of the individual clotting factor protein
in order to determine how many functional copies of that protein are
present in the blood sample. Result are typically expressed as a percentage
with 100% being a normal activity level. Back to Bleeding
Disorders Tests
Creatinine - is a waste product
released from the consumption of creatine by a person's muscles. Creatinine
is produced at a very consistent rate and removed from the blood stream
by the kidneys. An increase of creatinine in the blood stream can indicate
kidney dysfunction. Back to Hep C Tests
Gamma Glutamyl Transpeptidase -
is an enzyme found in many organs but the main source of GGT in the
blood is the liver. GGT is normally the first enzyme to rise or fall
with the change in liver function. While it is very sensitive this way
it cannot indicate the cause of the change and is therefore not, by
itself, considered to be a dependable indicator. Back
to Hep C Tests
Hematocrit - is the percentage of
the blood sample that is made up of red blood cells. This test can help
determine the severity of ongoing bleeding as well as anemia and many
other conditions. Back to Bleeding Disorders Tests
Hemoglobin - determines the amount
of a protein called hemoglobin in the blood sample. This protein caries
the oxygen and CO2 in the red blood cells and can indicate anemia if
hemoglobin is too low. Back to Bleeding Disorders Tests
Hepatitis C Antibody - tests
for antibodies to the Hepatitis C virus in the blood sample. This test
can determine if somebody has been exposed to the HCV virus. Back
to Hep C Tests
Hepatitis C Genotype - Tests for
the type of HCV a person has. There are currently 6 types of HCV known
and treatments may differ slightly depending on which type or variation
of the virus a person has.Back to Hep C Tests
Hepatitis C Viral Load - Used
to see the number of copies of the Hep C virus are in the person's blood
and monitor it for treatment decisions. Back to Hep
C Tests
Hepatitis C Virus RNA - actually
looks at the genetic material contained within the HCV to determine
if is actually viral or. This test distinguishes between current viral
infection and past viral infection. (A person with a current viral infection
may still see the HCV replicating and infection growing whereas a person
with no remaining viral infection has no detectable copies of the virus
that are still capable of replication.)Back to Hep
C Tests
HIV Antibody Testing - looks
for antibodies to HIV in the person's blood. Presence of antibodies
means that the person has been exposed to HIV at some point in the past.
Back to HIV Tests
HIV Genotypic Resistance Testing
- Uses the genetics of the HIV strain somebody is infected with to determine
what medications the strain is resistant to. These tests are expensive
and only need to be repeated if mutation of the virus is suspected.
Back to HIV Tests
HIV Phenotypic Resistance Testing
- rather than looking at the genetics of the viral strain to determine
what medications the virus is resistant to, this test actually looks
at what resistances are being expressed by the virus. These tests are
expensive and only need to be repeated if mutation of the virus is suspected.
Back to HIV Tests
HIV Viral Load Testing - looks
at the actual number of copies of the HIV virus found in the blood sample.
This test is routinely used to monitor the effectiveness of treatment
and suppression of the HIV virus. Back to HIV Tests
Lactic Acid Dehydrogenase - is an
enzyme found in most of the cells of the body. This enzyme is released
into the bloodstream whenever tissue cells get damaged. Since LDH is
normally only present in small amounts the amount of LDH found can indicate
the amount of damage being done. When isoenzymes are examined the location
of the damage can also be narrowed down to indicate the cell types getting
damaged. Back to Hep C Tests
Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin - is
mathmatically determined by dividing the result from the hemoglobin
test by the red blood count. Back to Bleeding Disorders
Tests
Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration
- is calculated by dividing the hemoglobin by the hematocrit. The MCHC
level can be low due to blood loss over time, too little iron in the
body, or any one of several other issues. Back to Bleeding
Disorders Tests
Mean Corpuscular Volume - is generated
by dividing the hematocrit by the red blood count. Doing so provides
an average size of the red blood cells in the sample. A high MCV can
be caused by liver disease and many other problems where as having a
low MVC can be due to kidney disease, anemia, and others. Back
to Bleeding Disorders Tests
Mean Platelet Volume
- is the average size of the platelets found in a blood sample. Since
over time platelets tend to decrease in size, elevation of the MPV may
indicate that the body is producing platelets at a faster rate than
normal (for any of various reasons) where a low MPV might be caused
by the drop in production of platelets and indicate some serious autoimmune
or bone marrow disease. Back to Bleeding Disorders Tests
Partial Thromboplastin Time - measures
how long it takes for a clot to form in a blood sample. This is often
used as a way to look at the effectiveness of a treatment regimen. Back
to Bleeding Disorders Tests
Platelet Aggregation Studies - consists
of a series of tests designed to look at how well the platelets are
binding together. Back to Bleeding Disorders Tests
Platelet Count - (also
known as thrombocyte count) is the number of platelets in a sample of
blood. If platelet levels fall below 20,000 platelets/micro-liter spontaneous
bleeding becomes a large concern. People with too many platelets run
the risk of having embolisms cause by the platelets clumping together
and blocking an artery. Back to Bleeding Disorders Tests
Potassium - is an electrolyte
and helps regulate the hydration and pH balance in the body while also
playing a large roll in muscle function. Back to Hep
C Tests
Prothrombin Time - measures the time
it takes for blood to form a clot. Back to Bleeding
Disorders Tests; Back to Hep C Tests
Red Blood Count - determines the
number of red blood cells present in the sample of blood. This test
is normally looked at in conjunction with hemoglobin test results. For
people with bleeding disorders abnormal drops in their RBC may indicate
blood loss and possible bleeding the person may be unaware of. Back
to Bleeding Disorders Tests
Ristocetin Cofactor - determines
the effectiveness of the von Willebrand factor proteins in the blood
sample. Back to Bleeding Disorders Tests
Sodium - is an electrolyte and
helps regulate the hydration of the body while also playing a large
roll in muscle and nerve function. Back to Hep C Tests
Thrombin Time - measures the time
it takes for fibrinogen to turn into the fibrin needed in clot formation.
Back to Bleeding Disorders Tests
Total Protein - looks at the amount
of total protein (both albumin and globulin) found in the blood sample.
This can be used as a good indicator of liver and kidney health. A/G
siply means they are looing at the ratio of albumin to globulin. Back
to Hep C Tests
von Willebrand Factor Antigen
- looks at the quantity of the von Willebrand factor proteins in the
blood sample. Back to Bleeding Disorders Tests
White Blood Count - determines the
number of white blood cells present in the sample of blood. Abnormally
high or low results may indicate infection or illness. Back
to Bleeding Disorders Tests; Back to HIV Tests
**Information here was gathered from Lab Tests
Online as well as the CDC and various other branches of the the United
States Department of Health and Human Services
