Re: hepatitis c

Posted By HFHS.M.D.-KB on May 08, 1998 at 17:00:50:

In Reply to: hepatitis c posted by judy on May 04, 1998 at 19:25:14:






My husband was diagnosed with Hepatitus (hepatitis) B a couple of years ago.  He had a liver biopsy which showed a minimal amount of scar tissue.  He took interferon for a few months and now the doctor said that his blood test shows no E antigen (don't know what this means) but that there is viral activity with his liver and how he is going to be tested for Hepatitus (hepatitis) C and Delta. Was he misdiagnosed?  Any comments would be greatly appreciated.  I thank you in advance. We are confused.
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As you know Hepatitis B is a viral infection primarily of the liver.  Most patients recover from the initial infection , however approximately 4% of adults acquiring the infection never clear the virus and are called carriers.  Therapy with Interferon is used only for patients who are carriers.  These patients have a positive hepatitis B surface antigen.  In addition, carriers may be replicators or nonreplicators.  By this I mean they are either continuing to make virus or their virus is in a quiet state.  Patients who replicate have a positive hepatitis e antigen and a positive viral DNA.  These are the patients who should be offered interferon treatment in an attempt to turn off viral replication making the e antigen and DNA negative.
It sounds as if your husband responded to treatment.  As to what your doctor meant by saying he may have other viruses, I dont have enough information to say.  Certainly patients with hepatitis B may have other viral infections including hepatitis C or D (delta) or any number of other liver conditions which may cause inflammation of the liver.  Most of these conditions are diagnosed with a combination of blood tests and liver biopsy.
It should be fairly easy to start the evaluation where you are.  Once you get more information, I can probably provide you with more additional information.   If you dont feel, youre getting the help you need or want to contact us directly at Henry Ford, we would encourage you to call us 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.