12 Wk RNA/Any other questions also

Hello Everyone, just wanted to share a little good news. My nurse called  my 12 week HCV RNA came back NEGATIVE..(Doing a dance now!!!)I am 42/f, 1a, starting vl 1,300,000,Tx is pegintron/ribavirin, 800mg of rebetol/80 pegintron. First time on treatment, blood work has always been great, beginning alt/13-ast/14, now alt/11-ast/12, so I hope this gives 1a's a little hope, still have a ways to go 13/48 wks, so far my sides have been mild. I hope everyone has a sides free weekend, I will be thinking about all you, Also-I want to say Thank You for all of the encouragement and knowledge that all of you bring..This forum makes me smile. Keep Up The Fight.

OHC-Did you get your 12 wk results yet?

[cc2]

This is great news - 12 wk and negative.  I know what you mean by Dancing - so keep dancing and fighting.  Congradulations

[mikesimon]

Great news. This will make it a lot easier to get through the tx. Good luck. Mike

[Minttwist]

Congratulations!  I like those ALT/AST stats, alt/13-ast/14, now alt/11-ast/12........A  W  E  S  O M  E! That's healthy.

Mine were down to 20 from 138, but are now up to 38, geez!

Must be the age.

[oldhippiechick67]

Nope not yet!  They made the mistake at the lab or drs and had to get it redrawn again.  Grrrrrrrrrr, but hopefully soon I will hear from them.  Thanks for asking!   :)  OHC

[willing]

dallasstar: congratulations on getting to the first big milestone! I see the tx roller coaster ride for 1s as two major rolls of the dice and a lot of minor thrills and chills in-between. In each roll you've got about 70% odds riding with you. You just got past the non-response roll - now get to and past the relapse roll and you'll be done..

ohc: sorry they're making you wait so long - "first thing you learn is you always gotta wait"

hcv-research-fans: this year's AASLD conference abstracts are now <a href="http://www.abstractsonline.com/viewer/browseOptions.asp?MKey=%7B201E3AB1%2DB366%2D4CFC%2D879B%2D196DF41D3A21%7D&AKey=%7B704CF973%2DD8A8%2D4909%2DA16B%2D9F7D9FB76BC7%7D">available</a>.  Select a day and then find the HCV related sessions. This represents   a good deal of this year's fresh crop of new research. Over time, some of it will make its way into refereed journals, clinical reviews, CME summaries and eventually become part of the "standard of care". I don't think hivhepatitis.com and other advocacy sites will start republishing these till after the conference because of a press-embargo.

A couple of highlights : there are two large studies on extended treatment the <a href="http://www.abstractsonline.com/viewer/viewAbstract.asp?CKey={99753635-F7E5-49BB-BB9A-63350891B720}&MKey={201E3AB1-B366-4CFC-879B-196DF41D3A21}&AKey={704CF973-D8A8-4909-A16B-9F7D9FB76BC7}&SKey={B95B7700-4CCE-45A4-8AB0-70F91E33D429}">teravic-4</a>study done in spain and <a href="http://www.abstractsonline.com/viewer/viewAbstract.asp?CKey={59C5D3F8-7761-41F4-8C09-0158C9152B37}&MKey={201E3AB1-B366-4CFC-879B-196DF41D3A21}&AKey={704CF973-D8A8-4909-A16B-9F7D9FB76BC7}&SKey={B95B7700-4CCE-45A4-8AB0-70F91E33D429}">another</a> done in Germany. Though the spanish results are more in keeping with the 10% or so reduction in relapse rate one might reasonably guess from what we know so far, they do not yet have their SVR results. The German study does, and it reports no significant benefit from the extended duration.  I found this pretty unexpected.. On the plus side both studies reported no major complications (though both used 800mg riba) and, not surprisingly, increased drop out..

Eva Herrman <a href="http://www.abstractsonline.com/viewer/viewAbstract.asp?CKey={36E90257-8816-41F3-870A-664EE3F924AF}&MKey={201E3AB1-B366-4CFC-879B-196DF41D3A21}&AKey={704CF973-D8A8-4909-A16B-9F7D9FB76BC7}&SKey={B95B7700-4CCE-45A4-8AB0-70F91E33D429}">reports</a> results of an attempt at fine-tuning the current rough cutoff for riba dosage for 1s and finds that 13.75mg/kg provides the best predictive value.

Avidan Neumann has continued <a href="http://www.abstractsonline.com/viewer/viewAbstract.asp?CKey={96AB3686-2C23-497C-AD8A-DE9119E5C337}&MKey={201E3AB1-B366-4CFC-879B-196DF41D3A21}&AKey={704CF973-D8A8-4909-A16B-9F7D9FB76BC7}&SKey={D0015512-E667-480F-A367-EF109BA6BF10}">tinkering</a> with his early (by week 4) viral kinetic predictors and now has two composite indicators that outperform the current "2-log drop by 12" standard at the cost of at most 3 more VL tests.


Those of us who deal with depression as major side will be amused by two conflicting studies: depression either <a href="http://www.abstractsonline.com/viewer/viewAbstract.asp?CKey={86D6D462-9587-4271-927D-A52B246F791F}&MKey={201E3AB1-B366-4CFC-879B-196DF41D3A21}&AKey={704CF973-D8A8-4909-A16B-9F7D9FB76BC7}&SKey={B95B7700-4CCE-45A4-8AB0-70F91E33D429}">reduces</a> or <a href="http://www.abstractsonline.com/viewer/viewAbstract.asp?CKey={55EE4300-3173-4980-BB70-70273EBAE17F}&MKey={201E3AB1-B366-4CFC-879B-196DF41D3A21}&AKey={704CF973-D8A8-4909-A16B-9F7D9FB76BC7}&SKey={7E8FD93F-7CF7-481C-A64A-400860F4CD65}">improves</a> our chances of SVR..
Encouraging results on biln-2061 and vx-950 tests, and much, much more... if you find anything noteworthy in the pile please post..

[oldhippiechick67]

sorry I found you ans me down below a thread or two Thanks Sorry for Naggin ya!  :)

[doll face]

Seems to be a trend going here, there are an awful lot of 12 pcr tests being screwed up lately. Mine was due in 3 weeks ago. My doctor called to say that the lab never did it and had to do the test with some blood that they froze that week, but the good news also seems to be coming to those of us who wait. Mine came back <600 (undetectable). So join us on the dance floor, there is a party going on.

[oldhippiechick67]

thanks for replying,  Friday came and went with no call from my dr. so waiting till Mon, then Tues etc.  Hope it comes back with a smiley face!  RELENTLESS Relentless, can you please reply with what meds you are taking/ what week of tx you are on etc, what state u live in ??  Thanks so much!  OHC

[relentless]

They had to call me back also because they used the wrong tube.  Then the results came across the fax a few days early with the good news....hopefully your wait and patience will pay off also

relentless

[meandhepc]

YeeHaw!!!!! Great results !!!!!!

[doll face]

ALright!!!!!! May I have this dance?!!!