VIRAL LOAD MOLECULAR TESTING

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health problem
that affects an estimated 350 million people worldwide, with
approximately 500,000 people dying annually from HBV-related liver disease.

The hepatitis B virus DNA quantification, also known as the viral load
test, measures the amount of the hepatitis B virus in the blood of
chronically infected patients and indicates viral burden and
replication.

Quantitation of the viral burden is a vital laboratory tool in the
management of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients.

Clinicians utilize HBV viral load testing to:

1. Make decisions whether or not to treat a patient (who should be
treated, how and especially when, particularly at commencement.

2. Guide treatment.

3. Assess recovery from infection and the efficacy of antiviral
therapy.

4. Prognosticate and determine the level of risk for liver cirrhosis
and hepatocellular carcinoma.

At El-Lab, the test is carried out using a Polymerase Chain Reaction
(PCR) technique that is highly sophisticated and accurate.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Viral Load

HCV causes hepatitis C, a liver infection that can progress to a
chronic condition which, without treatment, can cause serious health
problems, including hepatocellular carcinoma and liver damage.

The quantitative HCV RNA test (viral load) is checked before a patient
starts treatment.

It is also used by doctors to monitor patients who are currently on
treatment and to determine response, as an indicator of
whether a treatment is working to reduce viral levels or not.

HCV viral load test is almost 100% accurate and can detect an
infection within a couple of weeks after an exposure.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Viral Load

Cervical cancer is caused by persistent human papillomavirus (HPV)
infection with oncogenic HPV types is the second most frequent
malignancy among women worldwide, and approximately 1 woman in Nigeria dies every hour from the disease.

Clinicians request viral load measurements for oncogenic HPV types (including HPV 16) for the following reasons:

1. As a suitable indicator of persistent infection and risk of squamous
intraepithelial lesions (SIL). That is, in women who test positive for
high-risk HPV types, viral load can distinguish women who are at
increased risk of cervical neoplasia, from those who are not.

2. To assess the time to clearance of incident and prevalent HPV
infections – women with higher viral burden will take significantly
longer to clear their infections than women with lower viral load
assays.

For impact, the viral load of HPV 16 and HPV 18, the types most frequently detected in cervical cancers, should be measured serially.

N.B: Information regarding patient preparation and specimen
requirements as well as turnaround times, etc, may be sought from the  Molecular Laboratory Manager or General Manager.



Dr. Ndubuisi NWOSU
Clinical Pathologist