Does Liver heal after being undected.

[RJGCEDARS]

Undected now and was from wk 2-24. As such, can the liver heal itself from any scarring that may have occured.
No biopsy type 2. And to all going through treatment I feel better then I have prior to treatment. SO PLEASE STICK WITH IT.
rg

[dointime]

Here's a study with some info oon the subject,
dointime


"Long-term HCV Eradication
Sustained virological response (SVR), or undetectable HCV viral load 24 weeks after completion of treatment, is widely considered a “cure” for chronic hepatitis C. As reported in the September 2008 Gastroenterology, S. Maylin and colleagues performed long-term follow-up (median 3.3 years; range 0.5-18.0 years) of 344 patients who achieved SVR with interferon-based therapy, looking for residual HCV RNA in blood serum, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and liver tissue. None of the patients (1300 total samples) experienced serum HCV rebound, nor was HCV RNA detected in any PBMC specimens. However, two of 114 liver specimens (1.7%) had detectable HCV.
***
Analysis of 126 paired liver biopsy samples showed that fibrosis improved in 56%, remained stable in 32%, and worsened in 12%. A majority of patients with cirrhosis (9 of 14; 64%) experienced regression, and none progressed to decompensated disease, but three individuals developed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
***
“In this large cohort of chronic hepatitis C patients, SVR was durable up to 18 years after treatment cessation,” the researchers concluded. “The presence of residual HCV RNA was observed only in liver tissue (1.7%). This result strongly suggests that SVR may be considered to show eradication of HCV infection.”

[susan400]

It is possible for the liver to heal if one becomes undetected, AND one stays SVR.  Of course, if one mistreated their liver after obtaining SVR, it would slow this regeneration process down.  The liver regeneration does not happen like the flip of a switch overnight, it takes a period of time of being virus free to be able to regenerate.  If someone clears the virus and then, has a detected status once again at say, like their 6 mon. post treatment blood draw, then I would say that their liver was still undergoing a damage cycle and that the regeneration process was probably not complete since the virus was still active.  But, as always, that would be up to their own doctor to determine that.  Also, as Marcia says that Dr. D reported, this is if you don't have significant damage to start with.  Someone who is at cirrhosis or stage 3, is going to take longer to have a reversal than someone who is stage 1...

Susan400

[Marcia2202]

Here it is:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/534318

[Marcia2202]

Wonderful News! According to Dr. D, your liver should return to normal after treatment, if you had little damage. It will always heal to a certain degree. He responded to someone on the Expert Forum about that. I will see if I can find it.

I didn't have a biopsy either, am g 3a.

Marcia