Scary Study 2

Didn't wont to start new thread especialy concerning Occult Hep but my browser will not let me into thread "What do you think of this scary study" posted by JennyPenny

Bill1954 posted a link last July on a thread titled "What causes the damage"

http://www.uvm.edu/~biology/Classes/011/alive.pdf

Very informative and scary article mostly concerning the issue of whether viruses are live or just a "bag of chemicals". It also mentioned "Phoenix Phenotype"which is were "dead" virus come back to "life" and bring dead cells back to life. Always wondered if this could play into relapses.

Found another interesting article

http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2007/11/a_sneaky_virus_scientists_discover_that_hepatitis_c_spreads_directly_from_cell_to_cell.html

From what I can ascertain from this article is that Hep C can spread directly from cell to cell circumventing the extracellular method and not expose itself to antibodies (or Tx ?). Being hidden and able to spread like this wouldn't it affect antibody levels and maybe show false SVR levels especially in respect to contagion.

[JennyPenny]

I can't answer your question. The last link you posted is no longer working so I can't look at that article either.

Again, I'm not sure these occult viruses or pieces of virus are something to worry about. We are asked these type of questions many times when we are out presenting HCV programs and I usually refer people back to their doctors to answer questions about occult HCV. The only thing that bothers me is why these articles keep cropping up in major medical journals. That makes it a bit harder to have confidence that it means nothing.

[GGraphix]

Sorry about the link here are a few others pertaining to cell to cell transmission:

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=250658

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7075569.stm

A Google search of Cell to Cell Transmission lists a slew of studies so I guess this is just news to me. Could this have an effect on SVR levels, relapse, contagion ?

Bill 1954, Mr. Liver you guys out there

[Bill1954]

Hi George,

Funny, the link seems to still work for me; I had no problem opening it a minute ago. What I know about microbiology can fit on the head of a pin; I’d only be speculating trying to answer your questions. If you can flag down ‘Willing’, he might be able to tackle some of this. I don’t believe he maintains an inbox, though. Interesting thoughts; although it’s important to remember that SVR has shown to be durable to date.

Take care—

Bill

[oneatenuff]

Hi Ggraphix, it was your exact concerns on occult HCV that I discussed with my hepatologist - who's a trial doc, leading transplant center, VX-950 and others - a few years ago.   We had a long discussion about occult HCV and drug resistance  (separate issue from the occult) and on the occult HCV he said that even though the virus was being found in tissues of patients who were SVR - it had no meaning for someone who had durable SVR or for someone considering treatment.  He said that no one who is SVR should think that because of the research published on occult HCV that it means that one day the virus is going to come out of lurking and start multiplying in the blood and then the patient would be considered relapsed (and that treatment would have been for naught, or that they might be contagious and perhaps not know it.)      

As time has gone by since that time  (and now with more and more on occult HCV)  - it seems no matter what he said   ("it means nothing for the patient, it never will mean anything for the patient")  it does become more difficult to have confidence that occult HCV means totally nothing.    Since I'm desiring treatment in the future,  I really don't even like reading the articles on it but can't seem to convince myself to NOT read them, or if I do - dismiss them.

But if you can put faith in what a leading hepatologist told me, then maybe you can find some comfort in what I was told by him  (and he was implicit - "no worries at all".)  

[GSDgirl]

Most of these studies are waayyy over my head but.........

I consider myself "cured" BUT I decided a while ago that if I got cut and was bleeding I would try my darndest to make sure that no one came into contact with my blood.  It is hard tho like the time I got sliced on a horseshoe nail (still on the horse) and while breeding my female I kept her from snapping at the boy and my thumb got punctured. I just would not want to ever innocently give this demon to someone else.  I am SVR BTW.
This mess has taught me and made me aware of so much that I always took for granted and this forum has taught me so much more than I can ever return.  With that I say thank you to everyone

Denise

[JennyPenny]

Thanks for the new links although the other one is working for me now, too.