Specimen Collection Manual and Test Catalog

Serum: 1 mL aliquot, minimum 0.5 mL AND 
Plasma: one 3-4 mL plasma aliquot, minimum 2.0 mL NO SHARED SPECIMENS.

Allow serum to clot. Centrifuge to separate serum or plasma within 2 hours of collection. If red-top is drawn, serum must be aliquoted. Separate plasma from EDTA whole blood within 24 hours of collection. Centrifuge for 15 minutes at 2000-3000 g, room temperature. Using a sterile pipet, transfer 3-4 mL of plasma to one (1) labeled, sterile aliquot tube.

Serum: Refrigerated. 
Plasma: Frozen -20 to -80°C (preferred). Plasma may also be transported at 2-8°C. 
EDTA whole blood: 2-8°C up to 24 hours.

Serum: Room temperature: 3 days. Refrigerated: 21 days at 2-8°C. Frozen: 3 months. 
Plasma may be stored at 2-8°C up to 6 days, or frozen at -20 to -80°C up to 12 weeks (preferred). 
EDTA whole blood samples can be stored at 2-8°C up to 24 hours prior to centrifugation.

For plasma, whole blood specimens must be collected in EDTA tubes. Specimens must be separated with 24 hours of collection, or will be rejected. Improper storage or transport temperature. Stability limits exceeded. Shared or comingled specimens. Add-ons available only to unopened tube..

Negative for antibody screen. Negative IU/mL for HCV RNA quantitation.

Linear range of the assay is 15 IU/mL to 100 million IU/mL. Positive results less than 15 IU/mL will be reported as: HCV RNA detected but not quantified. The calculated titer is below the lower limit of quantification (LLoQ) of the assay.

Hepatitis C virus antibody screen with progression to HCV RNA Quantitative Viral Load if equivocal or positive screen., HCVPRO

See individual panel members: HEPATITIS C ANTIBODY and HEPATITIS C RNA QUANTITATIVE