Re: Hepatitis viral load and 'e' antigen

Posted By y.w. on October 12, 1998 at 07:10:55:

In Reply to: Re: Hepatitis viral load and 'e' antigen posted by HFHSM.D.-D.M. on October 04, 1998 at 16:47:50:






Please tell me if Hepatitis viral load is a direct indicator of hepatitis.  Does it mean high viral load has higher risk of liver disease and lower or negative has low risk.  What is 'e' antigen and antibodies, if you have 'e' antigen negative and 'e' antibody, does it mean that you also has low liver disease risk. If you have both low viral load and 'e' antibody, does it mean the risk of liver disease is rather low.
y.w.



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: Dear y.w.:
As always, I want to be as helpful as possible but I am a little confused by your questions and some of your terms.  Maybe I can make a few comments now and you provide me with additional information later.  
First of all, I am going to assume that you are talking about hepatitis B because the e antigen and the e antibody are typically used to refer to hepatitis B.
When someone has evidence of an on-going hepatitis B infection, we look for evidence that the virus is actively replicating (making more virus).  There are two major tests that we use, the Hepatitis B DNA (HBV DNA) level and the hepatitis e antigen (HBeAg).  Both these tests are considered markers of active viral replication and they are very important in determining how active a hepatitis B infection is.  
If both these tests are positive, it means that someone has an active, on-going hepatitis B infection.  This infection can further damage the liver and these patients are potential candidates for treatment.  If both, the HBV DNA and HBeAg are negative, that usually means you have an inactive hepatitis B infection and you are unlikely to have progressive disease.  If your HBV DNA level is present but low, that is better than having a high HBV DNA level but it is not as good as having no HBV DNA.  With a low level of HBV DNA, you are still infected and you can still have progressive disease.  Finally if you have a positive e antibody (HBeAb), it is important to know whether your HBV DNA is positive or negative.  A positive HBeAb with a negative HBV DNA is good but a positive HBeAb with a positive HBV DNA is not as good.  
I hope this information is helpful to you.  Understanding hepatitis B can be very confusing not just to patients but to a lot of physicians as well.  I usually recommend that patients with hepatitis B see a liver specialist or at least someone with a lot of experience with hepatitis B. I would invite you to contact us again with additional concerns or questions.   If you are near Detroit,  we would be happy to see you here at Henry Ford.   We have an active group of liver specialists with experience with hepatitis b.   You can always contact us directly at [phone].
This response is being provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation.  Always check with your personal physician when you have a question pertaining to your health.  
Dear D.M.
I have HBV DNA negative and HbeAb positive.  Thank You for your information and sorry for the confusion.