Reading Lab results....

Hey Guys,
      
     Posted earlier this morning.  I'm posting below exactly the words off of the returned results for the first PCR done in June. It says:

HCV QuantaSure Plus ( Serial )
      Hepatitus (hepatitis) C Quantitation
                                         50 IU/ml
HCV log10                                           1.699     log10/  IU/ml

Please note:
     This test measures HCV RNA in International Units (IU) per mL using real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction ( RT-PCR) technology.
It quantitates HCV RNA from 10 to 100,000,000 IU/mL

Now the most recent test results are stated below: ( August 10, 2007 )

HCV Quantsure Plus ( Serial )
     Hepatitus (hepatitis) C Quantitation
                             1,890 IU/mL

HCV log10               3.276     log10 IU/mL

This test measures HCV RNA in International Units (IU) per mL using real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction ( RT-PCR) technology.  It quantitates HCV RNA from 10 to 100,000,000 IU/mL.

jmjm530,
      Not really sure I understand exactly what you were saying on how to read.  Would you please help me to understand.  So yes, a breakthrough....if so a big one?  By how many logs?  I don't consider myself tech savvy on reports enough to understand them, but I'm trying.  Would you ( or anyone else ) please help me to understand EXACTLY ( in really simple terms if you don't mind ) what it really is saying?  Thank you guys!!!  As you know I just did another one at my request this past Friday, and will hopefully get the results back this Tuesday.  I will definitely post them to you all, OK?  Again many thanks.......

Yours in Christ,
Rick

[jmjm530]

Thanks for clarifying.

Yes, your viral load in June does appear to be 50 IU/ml.

So...that means you did not have a viral breakthrough since you never were UND. But what it does show is that you're still detectible which in of itself has treatment ramifications. As I' posted earlier, if your're detectible at week 12 but UND at week 24, then 72 weeks gives you a significantly better chance of SVR. However, if you're still detectible at week 24, then the chances of SVR are negligible and you should stop treating unless you're treating solely to improve liver histology.

Not sure what week the "50" was, but hopefully the re-test will show UND. BTW, you asked in an earlier thread how significant the difference between 50 and 1890 was. It's less than a two-log difference, so it's really hard to say whether the virus is rebounding or whether it's just due to test variance.  Your next PCR should tell more of the story.

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

Just to clarify a little, on the definition of "viral breakthough" versus "slow response".

In order to have a viral breakthough, you first have to be UND, which you weren't. Therefore it's a slow response, not a viral breakthough.

[jmjm530]

Second paragraph of my first post should have read in part:

"Not sure what week the "50" (or the 1890) was, but...."