A Systematic Literature Exploration Of Seropositive Patient With Hepatitis C For Molecular Detection For HCV

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a major global health problem, leading to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Conventional serological assays frequently cannot differentiate between current and remote infection, so it is important to have robust molecular diagnostics to identify active HCV RNA in seropositive patients.

Objective: To critically review and assess the performance, diagnostic value, and utility of different molecular techniques employed in detecting HCV RNA in hepatitis C seropositive patients.
Methodology: Systematic review was performed applying the Scopus database from articles published between 2021 and 2025. Filters for inclusion were observational and experimental human studies that utilized molecular methods (RT-PCR, real-time PCR, qPCR, nested PCR, TMA) for detection of HCV RNA. There were 65 studies filtered based on   inclusion/exclusion filters, and data extraction consisted of methodology.
Results: The most commonly used technique for molecular diagnostics is RT-PCR, followed by real-time PCR, qPCR, nested PCR, and TMA. The diagnostic accuracy ranges from 88% to 100%, with genotypes 1 and 3 being the most common. RNA detection rates in seropositive individuals vary, with India having the largest number of studies.

Conclusion: Molecular diagnostics, particularly PCR-based methods, are crucial for confirming HCV infection in seropositive individuals, early diagnosis, genotyping, and antiviral therapy. However, challenges like low-resource accessibility and protocol standardization remain, and addressing these is crucial for global HCV elimination goals by 2030.