Recommand for Type of Blood Test

Hi All,

My wife is going to check her blood test to check her Viral Load + or - and to check her Genotype.  Following is her first time test result.
Any recommendation for kind of blood test (RNA or ?) she should take to check again her viral load increase or decrease?

Hepatitis C Virous RNA(TaqMan)             3.68 x 10^6 IU/mL (6.57 Log)

Assay dynamic range :             43 IU/mL to 6.90 x 10^7 IU/mL (estimated 116 copies/mL - 1.90 x 10^8 copies/mL)
Lower Detection Limit:              15 IU/mL (estimated 40 copies/mL)
Equivocal range        :              15 IU/mL - 43 IU/mL

Thank you all...

[redvic56]

Genotype is important. Have any tests repeated for accuracy. PCR or TMA are the most sensitive tests available.Have at least one test performed by another lab as mistakes do happen. Although lab consistency is desirable, one outside lab can make the current lab unreliable. I am going through this now. I have had false positive on both hep B and Herpes 2. They have found DNA on Hep C, but the vral load flucuates from undetectable to 1.5 IU/ml. My heart is with you. Do not be deterred, ask again & again if needed.

[aungkyawsan]

Thanks for the advice. Nearest Country in which we can do is Malaysia and Singapore. First time done at Singapore. This time may choose Malay.

[Marcia2202]

Knowing that it is expensive for you, I wouldn't waste the money on checking her viral load again. Since she is pregnant and will not start treatment soon, the viral load result will not be of any use to you at this time whatsoever. It fluctuates greatly and has practically no correlation with the damage of the liver. Mine jumped from 580.000 to 2.200.000 to 1.300.00 within 5 months.

It will be good to know what genotype she has, as that will be essential to plan treatment for the future.

All the best to you and your lovely wife. Have a Happy and Prosperous New year in every way.  Also wishing you all the best with the baby!

Marcia

[aungkyawsan]

You are always great help to us. The reason I would like to check for her is, she is now relieve and believing that her virus will be cured since her met with a paster from Korea at Church and praying for her.  
As I am daily in touch with this forum, I have certain knowledge of "Viral Load", "Treatment", "SVR" , Liver Stage, Cured, not cured, relapse etc. I will gradually convenience her to face reality. She is a bit conservative. So I must check for her. If her viral load, I will tell her to release her worry and if not. I will keep it as secret.
Appreciate very much your concerned pointing out the finance matters.  Very kind of you. Though we are lower middle class and no insurance whatsoever, Please understand me for this point :D   ( As I will post in this site later and I am afraid that you might misunderstood I didn't listen to you :D).

Following are a few question that I need you and others advise.
Now she is almost 6 months pregnant.
(1) Can she take Omega 3 and Vitaman C?
(2) Can you give me some link which explain HCV effective rate to baby is very low through her placenta as her OG was telling us high chance to be effected through placenta to my baby.
(3) And where can I look professional advice how to take car while she is giving birth.
(We have decided to take operation way instead of natural giving birth.)
(4) Still hesitate to make decision for breast feeding... For me I don't want to take a risk..
(5) How shall I decide when she should get treatment? How many months after giving birth? Supposing we won't do breast feeding.
(5) Liver biopsy is not available in our country and without Liver biopsy, can we make decision for the treatment time? (In fact, we have checked her Liver enzyme and according to her doctor all normal. But I have learnt, liver enzyme alone cannot make decision Liver damage stage..)

Thanking you in advance for all above questions?
Happy New Year to you too and wish you all the best!!!
Aung

[Marcia2202]

Of course, I'm sorry, you have been doing so much reading, I know.

To your questions, I have read up on your questions earlier, as one of my twins tested positive for HCV antibodies, so I was very much interested in the whole matter. I cannot remember where I read all this, but I found it through extensive internet searches and discussions on the forum.

1) omega 3 and vitamin C are good

2) the possibility of transmission from mother to baby is around 6%, 8% for baby girls and 4% for baby boys. They believe this is the case, as women are genetically more similar. Transmission is much more likely to occur during birth than in the womb through the placenta. I don't think that OG's are so much aware of all the details of HCV. What the OG mentioned might be the case with some other illnesses, but not with HCV. The risk is very low.

3) According to what I have read and to what Dr. Dieterich also said on the expert forum, no special precautions are to be taken. You should avoid birth by operation (Caesar Section), as it is more likely for the baby to be infected that way than through natural child birth.

4) Breast feeding does NOT transmit HCV (unless the mother is bleeding from her nipples and the baby has a cut in his mouth. Anyway, if this was the case, it would be much too painful to breast feed) and it actually is the best nutrition for the baby and a beautiful way for mother and child to bond. I can assure you, I breastfed all my five children. It is also much more convenient and will give the child all the protection and antibodies to fight off all kinds of illnesses for the first few months. The best thing a mother can do for her baby and herself. They also say that women who had babies and did not or were not able to breast feed, can be more prone to breast cancer.

Hepatitis B on the contrary can be transmitted through breast feeding.

5) If I was in your situation, I would wait until the baby is older (maybe 1 year or two), unless your wife has serious liver damage. That you would be able to tell from an ultrasound and blood tests, if a biopsy is not available or possible. I could not have a biopsy, as my blood coagulation was to slow. I had 2 ultrasounds scans and they could determine from that that I do not have cirrhosis, etc.  I personally would just prefer to be as close as possible to my baby as long as possible. IF she has a really hard time with treatment, it would be sad for the little one, too.

Hope this was helpful.

Marcia

[Marcia2202]

please correct me, if some of this info is inaccurate.

[aungkyawsan]

Thanks for the details.
I am a bit concern for her operation then.  Since her first child was born by operation,  OG advise us operation for this time also...   she also plans to do operation not to have child in future..How do we call in English? Sorry...:D..

Thanks again for advise.. I will let her do regular Blood test, and ultrasound..to make decision for treatment... and will be in touch with this forum...
Thank you all..

[Marcia2202]

If it is medically preferable to have the operation, I would not be concerned then. I just meant that you should not chose operation over natural child birth for the sake of the HCV, because the possibility of transmission seems to be a little higher. But as said, it is all in all around 6%. These statistics include natural and Caesarian.

The operation not to have children, is called a tubal ligation. I had it done after my 5th child and am very happy with it.

I wish you and your wife all the best and please do not forget to let us know when your baby is born.

Happy New Year to you and your family!

[aungkyawsan]

Of course, I will let you and  all friends in this forum when my baby is born...
Thanks for the advise and appreciated very much....
After lab test, I will post in here again..
Thanks Marcia..

[Rockerforlife]

WOW...some heavy duty discussion...im lost when it comes to having babies and hep c topics.