the generations tests have to do with the antibodies and I would not worry too much about their results if the PCR shows clear in both labs. That is the one you should be looking at. I would rather have a very sensitive qualitative test, one that goes to <2 IU/ML. If that is negative, the virus is not there. His dr would have to do a biopsy of his liver to prove to you that hcv is present. I don't think he would find any virus.
He is one of the lucky ones who fought the bug on his own and won.
hey, I was just trying to type 'own' too fast and kept typing 'won', I just realized they are the same letters, duh! hum....any subliminal significance?
I usually get to answer the questions first because my PC is on my desk at work and I see them almost as they are typed. But I am not the most knowledgeable, of course. Welcome to the forum.
If you do enough hep c research you will learn that there is no such thing as a hep c carrier. If the virus is present in the blood, as determined by a PCR test, the person is chronically infected. I have never heard the term borderline hep c, in 3 yrs of reading, which leads me to think that your friend did not see a hep c specialist. What in the world is borderline hep c?
Your first test is usually for antibodies, when that is positive they do a PCR to check for a viral load, which, if positive, means the person is chronically infected. A biopsy will tell if there has been damage by the hep c infection. At that time, a person can decide whether to treat the hep c or not.
You need more information from your friend as to what tests he/she had done and what kind of dr saw him/her. Or send the friend here to get more information from the members at this forum.
ok, what he told me is that once he went through his usual yearly tests and also got his AIDS, Hep B and Hep C tests. All results were OK but it was only that the doc, a liver specialist told him that his Hep C was REACTIVE which meant some problem somewhere. He then got his PCR done which was FINE, not to worry about.
The doc told him that although he does not have Hep C, but he may have been infected by a virus sometime back (because of either Joindus or typhoid) and that the virus still remains there in his liver but overcome by the antibodies of the body and that he should not worry about anything. This will remain in his body for the times to come or it may vanish in sometime. This guy is worried as he cannot be medicated as such and he is worried that he was infected by this disease sometime in the past.
by the way, what is a Hep C test on 3rd generation machines and 4th generation machines OR tests by 3rd generation or tests by 4th generation ? lots of labs use either of these generations. what is the main difference and what is the preferred model and is there a chance that the same test has different results on different generations ?
What apparently happened is that your friend was exposed to the hep c virus sometime in the past and fought it off with his own immune system. This happens up to 40 per cent of the time.
If your friend's PCR was *undectible" then your friend does not have hepatitis c and therefore does not need treatment, and as doctor said, "has nothing to worry about."
I do disagree, however, with one statement the doctor apparently made -- and none of us are doctors here -- and that's the statement about the virus still being in his liver. I think many in the medical community would dispute this. Antibodies in the blood, yes. Virus still in the liver, no.
In my opinion your friend has nothing to be concerned about. Cannot come down with the virus in the future and cannot transmit it to others, since he doesn't have it.
-- Jim
Don't know the generational technicalities, but nowadays the good tests are the qualitative PCR tests with go down to about 5-10 IU/ml and the very sensitive quantitative PCR tests that go down to about the same. In your friend's case, probably a very sensitive qualitative would be the best. It gives no viral load numbers, just says whther the virus is detecible or not. Quest Diagnostics is one nationwide lab that offers these tests. LabCorp is another.
-- Jim
well, thanks. i think you have rightly explained the problem but can someone coment on the Hep C tests through 3rd generation and tests through 4th generation.. what he told me is that he went to a lab where his his Hep C was REACTIVE and later-on his PCR was OK and this was done on a 3rd gen. whereas he went to another lab where the tests were performed on 4th gen and his Hep C was NON REACTIVE and his PCR, FINE... what are these different generations of the way tests are done + what is being used now a days in the modern medicine ? + which generation is right and whihc generation is wrong ?
Back in June I posted that I also tested positive for antibodies to HepC 14 years ago. After having PCR done in July, I have been told that my immunities have fought back this virus and I show negative for HCV. They could not even tell what type I would have been. As far as the doctors are concerned this is a basically non-issue, but will always show antibodies for HCV(and I guess I have for the past 14 years). I am of course very relieved but still keep reading this forum just to keep learning.Thank You!
sorry, just one more thing - the PCR test that was used for me was the TMA Assay 7.5 IU/ml.
Hello,
I have a question, I was told I have hep c back in Jan, of this year. Without much explaination, (but a sonogram and another blood test,) I was then told my body fought it off, I will always test positive but I will never be sick from hep c. is this true? Can you get immunity?
The reason I ask, is that of late my palms are bright red as well as the soles of my feet,they uncomfortably tingle and feel hot, my left foot heel has become numb,and I have been feeling sore on my right side. Any relation to hep c.? A friend say they are related??
I do have an underactive thyroid but have never gained any weight, actually lost a lot of weight.Am taking levoxyl
Frankly most Drs. in my opinion are tight lipped if I even ask any "hard questions"
Thanks
Shoops
posting all the way down here, makes you almost invisible, but since I saw you, I can tell you that there is no immunity to hep c. You can get reinfected again, even if you clear it before. If you tested positive by antibody test but negative by PCR test, you should repeat the PCR to make sure it was not an early infection with no viral load to detect. If this newer PCR comes back negative, you probably cleared the virus on your own(about 20% d0). But it won't protect you from the next exposure to HCV contaminated blood.
<html>
<head>
<title>Cool</title>
</head>
<body bgcolor="white" text="#8080ff" link="blue">
<center>
<font size="5" color="gray">3D
did you do something to change the colors???
<font size="3" color="Black">Looks that way....Don't ask me how..I will need to look at the Applets I wrote.
Is this better.
TonyZ</font>
NICE COLORS TONY!!! IT WONT LET ME SEE YOUR PIC OR EVEN CLICK ON YOUR LINKS...BOO HOO...WHAT I MISS???
Click on the HOME page then change it to english you will see the Picture I was trying to post....
Here is the web site...so just use this.
<a href="http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA012735/index_en.html">Cool Effect's</a>
I hope you all like the blue, cause this post is stuck with it..
TonyZ
you all can keep poking at me, I don't mind...If you're poking at me you're leaving someone else alone *smile*
that is sooo cool. got anymore?
because......???
are we letting the no clue folks dictate how we have fun? when have we dictated how they should have theirs? We have nothing to explain and nothing to adjust.
On we go, where the living is easy. and envy turns people green...
as Dr Seuss wrote "Oh, the places we'll go"
What's up w/ the fighting all the time? And the 'no clue' people vs the 'us' thing? That's just plain rude...it's not the first time I've heard that and I think it's very childish and ill mannered...What is there to be jealous of anyway? I am really confused...
Cin
Wow, what is going on w/ this thread? Weird color and all the posts off to the side? odd...
Cin