HepaB "CARRIER"

[jorgeHB]

Could you please further explain the word "CARRIER" ?  Thanks!

[helper60]

can you elaborate/explain the point please?

you wrote: "liver damage or hepatitis is when alt/ast are elevated up to 30 for men and up to 19 for women "

what does that mean when..

The normal ranges for AST and ALT are around 0 to 40 IU/L and 0 to 45 IU/L respectively

??

[stef2011]

sorry i made confusion:

hepatitis b= illnees, that's to say liver damage, alt/ast are elevated

carrier of hepatitis b virus= you carry the virus but you have no hepatitis and no illness, there is no liver damage. alt/ast are normal, hvbdna is und, hbsag is 1500iu/ml or less

[stef2011]

also consider that hepatitis b illness and carrier of hepatitis b virus are not the same thing.the first means that you carry the virus but you have no hepatitis and the second means that you have illness (liver damage) and virus

liver damage or hepatitis is when alt/ast are elevated up to 30 for men and up to 19 for women

there are different states of the carrier, active, inactive (when alt/ast are normal), immune tollerant.the persistance of hbv virus is due to the high number of hbsag antigen in the blood which blocks immune system, the key to eradicate the virus is lower hbsag.at the moment only interferon lowers hbsag in some cases all other antivirus can lower it but very very little.
when disease is inactive hbsag is usually 1500iu/ml, clearance happens when it lowers less than 1000-1500iu/ml during tx, the chance to clear virus naturally is 1-2% per year (almost no chance...)

[gav177]

Carrier means you are carrying a virus for the rest of your life. Like Hepatitis B when you  have a chronic Hepatitis B you consider a carrier. It means you that your immune system doesn't get rid your Hepatitis B that's why you are a carrier of Hepatitis B.