Hepatitis C Antibodies (Anti-HCV)

An antibody test that screens for hepatitis C infection.

Last reviewedJune 16, 2026

Serum

sample type

~5 mL

blood needed

~7 days

results in app

Any time of day

best timing

INCLUDED WITH ANIVA

199 € / year

0.55 € a day

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100+ biomarkers. Cheaper than a comparable test at your doctor. Guaranteed, or we match the price.

German PKV insurance usually reimburses.

On this page

Why test Reference ranges What you'll learn What affects it How testing works Sources FAQ

In short

This test screens your blood for antibodies against the hepatitis C virus (HCV), a virus that can infect the liver. Anti-HCV antibodies show that your immune system has encountered the virus at some point.

It is a screening test. A reactive result shows past or present exposure but does not by itself tell you whether the infection is still active.

Inflammation & Immune

Reviewed against DGKL reference practice.

Why test this?

Hepatitis C often causes no symptoms for years while it can quietly damage the liver. Screening matters because the infection is now curable with modern medication, but only once it is found. Many people were exposed years ago and never knew.

A non-reactive result is reassuring. A reactive result means you have been exposed and need a follow-up HCV RNA test to confirm whether the virus is still present.

What is a normal result?

Aniva reads your result against research-backed ranges, not just the lab's wide normal. The reference shown below is specific to this biomarker.

Adult reference values as used by Aniva. Ranges are guidance and can vary by laboratory and method.

Group	Normal range	Optimal range
Adults	Below 0 Negative\|Positive	Below 0 Negative\|Positive

Your Aniva report reads your result against these values together with your age, sex and the rest of your panel.

Ranges are guidance and vary by lab and assay, aligned with DGKL practice. Always read your result against your own lab's reference interval.

What insights will this test give you?

You learn whether anti-HCV antibodies are present. A negative result means none were found. A reactive result calls for an HCV RNA (PCR) test to see if there is an active infection, since antibodies can stay positive even after the virus has cleared.

What can affect this result?

What can skew the result

Antibodies can take weeks to appear after exposure, so very recent infection can be missed. Antibodies may persist for life even after a cured or cleared infection, so a reactive result does not prove active disease. Rare false-reactive results are possible. Fasting does not affect the result.

Best interpreted with

Read with an HCV RNA (PCR) test if the antibody screen is reactive, and with liver enzyme results such as ALT.

How is this tested?

Sample

Serum

Blood needed

~5 mL

Method

Immunoassay

Best timing

Any time of day

Sources. The evidence behind this

WHO: Hepatitis C

CDC: Hepatitis C Testing

Robert Koch-Institut: Hepatitis C

Common questions

Which Aniva panels include this marker?

STI Screening

These tests screen for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C from one blood sample.