Hep c and Lupus

I have been reading comments on this site and find it very helpful and loaded with alot of information. Maybe someone out there can answer a question I have.   I have both Hep C and Lupus. My rhuemy doesn't want the hep c treated because apparently it makes the lupus worse. I had a liver biospy done a year ago because my liver functions were high. The biospy showed inflamation (inflammation) but no scarring. Does anyone out there know if treating the hep c would worsen the lupus?

[lidor100]

my wife have lupus few years by now, she found out that she have heptitis c, does the lupus make the hep c worse or the the hep c
worsen the lupus

by neal

[AnotherJourney]

I tried to find relevant articles for you but didn't have much luck. I will share with you what my doctor told me.

My mother had systemic lupus. So since I had a history, she ran a series of autoimmune disease markers on me. THe way she explained it is that the hep c treatment fires up the immune system (in order to try and beat the virus). But if one has an autoimmune disease, firing up the immune system is bad becuase with an autoimmune disease, the body's immune system is attacking the body.

Sorry I can't back this up with more scientific reading for you. And I can not even tell you  the validity of what my doc told me....  only that is what she told me.

Hopefully someone else will chime in with more info.  

[CMcH]

When they found the RA factor in my blood and the Rheumatologist said it was from the HCV and he wouldn't treat it. That is when I decided to TX. I have read about it triggering SLE also and I was concerned because my mother has it. So far it has not shown up. Who knows what is cause and effect? It is really hard to tease one out from the other.
I did have a hypo Thyroid before TX and now it is hyperthyroid so it does seem to effect autoimmune problems.
Good luck and perhaps check with a good Hep doc to get a second opinion.
Connie

[stillsguy]

...and anyone else wondering (just saw posting from feb...)

Your question, Can the tx trigger SLE?

From 1st hand experience, Yes. Caused my kidneys to fail something fierce...

Looking back, I was probably unstable from an immunological point of view to begin with (after I saw some of my blood work...). Shouldve been given a course of tapering pred then the Hep C treatment. Too bad really cause I became undetectable in just over two weeks, but the ARF hit just over the 10 week mark, even though I stopped maybe 10 days earlier... yeah, u could tell something real bad was coming my way...

am waiting for the anti-virals now... i guess