Detection and Quantification of the Hepatitis C Viral Genome

The use of molecular-based methodologies for the identification of viral nucleic acid has evolved into a clinically useful adjunct to the biochemical, serological, and histological assays used to evaluate patient health. The clinical application of viral-load assays for monitoring viral infections has been the impetus for the development of standardized tests for the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Standardization and precision of quantification have been instrumental in assessing the natural history of HCV, in which viral RNA levels have a large dynamic range. Assessment of the HCV viral load is now a routine part of the algorithm for the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C (1 –5 ). Patient’s response to anti-viral therapy can be assessed, in part, by quantification of serum viral loads (6 ,7 ).