liver

Does hepc damage other organs besides your liver?
I was wondering why when a person has a liver transplant they may still have to do treatment for hepc.
Wouldn't removing the diseased organ remove the virus or is it in our blood flowing through our bodies and only attaches to the liver?
Also when you have a transplant do all the other things that accompany cirrhosis go away?

[alagirl]

Yes, such as the kidneys - but it can cause damage throughout the body.  Whether or not a person still needs to treat post liver tp depends upon whether or not they have successfully reached SVR (cleared the virus) prior to the transplant.  Nothing about the transplant itself clears the virus from the body.  It's not as though the liver is somehow the sole repository for the virus.  The transplant does give the person a "new" or rather, a new used liver.  If they have the virus then they still must successfully treat their hcv or they will damage their new liver as well.

[copyman]

Does hepc damage other organs besides your liver?  Yes it affects other organs including the kidneys.

I was wondering why when a person has a liver transplant they may still have to do treatment for hepc.
Wouldn't removing the diseased organ remove the virus or is it in our blood flowing through our bodies and only attaches to the liver? HCV is a virus in your blood and affects mainly the liver. When someone gets a new liver the virus starts to eat away at that one and that is why treatment is nesscary.

Also when you have a transplant do all the other things that accompany cirrhosis go away? Cirrhosis is a disease of the liver so once the new liver starts working properly the things accociated with cirrhosis will get better.

[Bill1954]

Hi Dj,

There are conditions like hepatopulminary and hepatorenal syndrome that affect both the liver and lungs or the liver and kidneys, but I think this has more to do with end stage liver disease than it does the actual virus; there should be all sorts of material available online if you’re interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatorenal_syndrome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatopulmonary_syndrome

Unfortunately, unless a person manages to achieve SVR prior to transplant, the disease returns almost universally. Mikesimon just recently posted a thread that focuses on this:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/Antivirals-Are-Poorly-Tolerated--Largely-Ineffective-Against-HCV-After-Liver-Transplantation/show/1290303

Because transplant patients require immunosupression to prevent graft rejection, and probably other reasons too, antiviral therapy is difficult to tolerate and to treat successfully; I think it’s much better to clear the virus in advance, if at all possible.

I think some issues like diabetes will remain after transplant, although I’m unsure of that. I do believe that conditions like ascites, encephalopathy and other issues that are attributed to portal hypertension resolve as a result of the TP, though.

As a side note, how are things going with you? Any progress to report?

Bill

[RobertBeWell]

"Wouldn't removing the diseased organ remove the virus or is it in our blood flowing through our bodies and only attaches to the liver? "

The virus is a blood borne disease ("carried in the blood") so removing the liver does not eliminate it. Additionally, while the liver is the primary site where the virus likes to "hang out" there is evidence that it also inhabits other areas of the body, like the bone marrow cells.

I reckon if it's in your blood, and your blood is almost everywhere, it follows that the virus is almost everywhere.

[djbn13]

Thanks for the info been off work for for a few days regrouping from a copd exacerbation.
My next appt for a liver scan is on the 27th.
As scared as I am about the possible cirrhosis when the copd flares up and your lungs basically freeze up(no air in no air out)it only lasts a few seconds but it is terrifing.
So I'm basically stuck at home for awhile, time to read up and stress myself more.

[frijole]

http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/content/123/2/596.full.pdf+html

This is an article I had earmarked some time ago on HCV and COPD.  The virus can inflame the lung as well as the liver -- it is just not as dramatic.  However, if you already have COPD you should read this article.  I have copied part of the conclusion here.  Treating for HCV may help your COPD.

frijole

“In conclusion, ..., this prospective study
determined that chronic HCV infection may accelerate
decline in lung function in patients who already
have COPD, and that cigarette smoking augmented
the decline in lung function in these patients. Our
results may have potentially important implications
for understanding of the pathogenesis of and future
treatment trials for COPD in conjunction with HCV.”

[Missy114]

I just wanted to quickly add that Hep C can suppress the bone marrow's ability to produce certain types of blood cells. I learned this through my hematologist, who I am seeing because my WBC's and platelets are low. He said that If these continue to be low, I would need a bone marrow biopsy to find out exactly what is going on.