UND 3 months after triple therapy

[swhep]

In my last week's lab (3 months after completing) I was UND. My blood numbers returned to normal (HGB 15.9, platelets 240, blood sugar and all others are in normal range). Six months from now, I am scheduled for one more lab work. I am hoping that this post three month UND is a positive indication towards SVR in the next lab.

During the three months after completion I had occassional prickly heat rash during physical work. It has gone away in the last 2 weeks. I see I have more stamina now to work longer, I feel better every morning, I still have to get my muscles in better physical shape through moderate exercise.

For those who don't know me, I started six month incivek triple therapy last April and completed in mid October.

During the first three months my platelets were 90-100, hemorrhoids, HGB 13-14, liver shrunk dramatically giving me almost flat abs and blood sugar went up. For the next three months HGB stayed around 13.5 platelets dropped around 75-80, liver remained shrunk (same even now), no thyroid but had extreme fatigue; evenually I was on medical leave from work to avoid fatigue for 3-4 weeks towards the end.

Thanks for everyone inquired about me and adviced me all this time.

[slideman]

  Your looking good!! Congratulations!!

[swhep]

Thanks pooh55811. Stats are very encouraging. Post triple therapy results with Incivek could be the same.

Thanks.

[pooh55811]

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2010/0611_2010_a.html

Sustained virological response (SVR) to hepatitis C treatment is usually defined as continued undetectable HCV viral load 24 weeks after completion of therapy. Michelle Martinot-Peignoux and colleagues from France evaluated whether assessment of serum HCV RNA 12 weeks after the end of treatment was as relevant as 24 weeks for determining SVR.

The investigators analyzed sustained treatment outcomes among 573 chronic hepatitis C patients who received pegylated interferon (Pegasys or PegIntron) plus ribavirin and had an end-of-treatment virological response. Viral load was measured using a sensitive TMA assay with a lower limit of 5-10 IU/mL. Viral relapse was defined as reappearance of detectable HCV-RNA between the end of treatment and post-treatment week 24.

Results
All 573 participants had undetectable HCV RNA at the end of treatment.
At 12 weeks post-treatment, 409 participants still had undetectable viral load.
At 24 weeks post-treatment, 408 participants (71%) achieved SVR.
Looking back at week 12 results, all but 1 of the patients who were undetectable at week 12 remained so at week 24.
Week 12 response had a positive predictive value of 99.7% for predicting Week 24 SVR.

The researchers concluded that assessment of serum HCV RNA 12 weeks after the end of treatment using a highly sensitive TMA assay "is as relevant as after 24 weeks to predict SVR and make decisions on the management of treated patients, suggesting a new definition for SVR."


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22262129

CONCLUSIONS:
Undetectable HCV-RNA at W+12 posttreatment has a high PPV for predicting SVR. HCV-RNA testing to assess SVR at this time point seems as valid as W+24 testing and could be considered for predicting SVR in HCV-LT patients receiving treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin.


http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hep.24512/pdf

[pooh55811]

Congratulations on being UND 3 months post EOT. That gives you 99.7% chance for attaining SVR.  Those are pretty good odds.

I and several others are patiently (or impatiently) waiting along with you for our 24 week post EOT VL results. My 12 week post EOT VL  was also UND. It is quite a relief, but I won't celebrate until I have the 24 week post EOT VL hard copy in my hand, LOL.

It looks like your other labs and your general well being are returning to normal. Congratualtions on finishing Tx and on your 12 week post EOT VL being UND.