translation, please

[wyntre9]

Hi everyone.  Happy Holidays.  
does anyone know what this is (from bloodwork).  HCV Ab 43.3H s/co ration normal limits 0.0-0.9
Have been on meds since Friday, took first shot, thanks to all the encouraging posts i viewed on this forum.  i bit the bullet and it didn't bite back too hard, not yet anyway.  Side effects so far include; Normal energy until 12pm then crash

[ladybug52]

Beats me. I tried looking it up at the website Complete blood count at a glance but was unable to find anything. What is it in realtion to? What other labs are on the lab slip?
I give up on knowing what makes me feel like **** and being lightheaded. I start to feel pretty good by Thursday and then Friday is shot night.
Best of luck with this tx.
Bug

[wyntre9]

hi LB,
43.3H is from the hepatitis blood work panel confirming a past or present HCV infection.  That's how i started on this lovely quest.  as usual, i'm way behind the learning curve and trying to play catch up after starting treatment last friday.
i'm wondering if the 43.3H s/co ration is especially high in comparison to others.  normal range for that test is 0.0-0.9.  sounds high to me but then reading my vl was 1,140,00 was staggering
til i read that's onsidered fairly low.
anyway, thanks for the respons.
btw, someone posted translations of the shorthand used in the forum - like tx = treatment, etc.  do you know where i can find that?
also, i dug up an earlier post on newly discovered hcv sources that i found fascinating.  just thought someone else would find it equally interesting.  here it is.
wyntre
Risk Factors for Hepatitis C in People with Unknown Transmission Routes

By Liz Highleyman

While it is well established that certain risk factors - in particular shared use of injection drug equipment - are associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a significant proportion of hepatitis C patients (20%-40%) have no identified route of transmission.

As described in the November 2006 Journal of Viral Hepatitis, French researchers conducted a multicenter case-control study to investigate potential routes of HCV transmission in patients with no recognized parenteral risk factors.

The study included 450 HCV seropositive patients with no history of blood transfusion or injection drug use and 757 control subjects recruited from the general population and matched for sex, age, place of residence, and number of chronic diseases; 80% of cases had chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis, and 65% had genotype 1 HCV. All participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire about potential HCV risk factors.

Results

    Among the 66 items considered, multivariate analysis identified 15 independent risk factors for HCV infection:
    - Nosocomial (in-patient medical procedures):

    admission to a medical facility (OR 2.1);

    digestive endoscopy (OR 1.9);

    admission to a surgical ward (OR 1.7);

    surgical abortion (OR 1.7).
    - Out-patient treatments:

    cutaneous ulcer or wound care (OR 10.1);

    diathermy (OR 3.0);

    gamma globulin administration (OR 1.7);

    intravenous injections (OR = 1.7);

    varicose vein sclerotherapy (OR 1.6);

    acupuncture (OR 1.5);

    intramuscular injections (OR 1.4).
    - Lifestyle factors:

    intranasal cocaine use (OR 4.5);

    engaging in contact sports (OR 2.3);
    beauty treatments (OR 2.0);
    professional pedicure or manicure (OR 1.7).
    These factors explained 73% of community-acquired HCV infections.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the authors wrote, "for patients with unexplained routes of HCV infection, our data incriminate previously unidentified risk factors (abortions, some dermatological procedures, outpatient injections, contact sports, beauty treatments, professional pedicure/manicure) and confirm those already recognized (hospitalization, digestive endoscopy, acupuncture and intranasal cocaine use)."

These results suggest that prevention education materials and programs should include a broader range of exposures and activities that may put individuals at risk for contracting HCV. They also emphasize the need for universal precautions and sterile procedures in medical settings.

12/12/06

Reference
M. Karmochkine, F Carrat, O Dos Santos, and others. A case-control study of risk factors for hepatitis C infection in patients with unexplained routes of infection. Journal of Viral Hepatitis 13(11): 775-782. November 2006.

[compulsive]

I had the toughest time figuring that out myself - From what I could find on google and here when I was freaking out over it (yep I sure was) - it's an ANTIBODY count confirming a past or present HCV infection.  I DO know that  it is not your viral load.    The 0.0 -0.9 is the range the AB (anyibody)results would be in if you had NOT been exposed, or had not yet developed antibodies (some people don't, and early acute people often don't have antibodies yet).  

  Thats the best I could find out when I was looking it up. I don't know whether it matters how much bigger the number is ... couldn;t find anything on that when I looked.

[compulsive]

PCR: polymerase chain reaction (viral count) this test we some times get at the 4-wk, 12wk and 24wk during treatment to see how or if our viral load has gone down.
TX: treatment
SX: side effects
BX: biopsy
HX: history
VL: viral load
EVR: early viral response
RVR: rapid viral response
SVR: This is what we all want = sustained viral response
AST & ALT: liver enzyme
WBC: white blood count
DX: diagnosis
GGT: gammer glutamil transferase
ANC: absolute neutrophil count
RBC - Red blood count
HGB - Hemoglobin
IFN - Interferon shot, most often Pegylated-Interferon
Riba - Ribavirin
Epo - Epogen/Procrit
Neup - Neupogen
AFP -- alpha feto-protein, tumor marker

I am sure there are more but that what I have on my "cheat sheet" here...

[wyntre9]

what's that saying; it's not who votes that counts; it's who counts the votes?  that somehow seems relevant, along with bigger isn't always better (or worse).  i never knew how many aphorisms were stored in my deteriorating brain cells 'til i started posting on this forum.  now that i'm forced to contend with scientific reality i can't help being curious, in a detached sort of way, about all these numbers.  ok.  i'm freaking out.

btw, in that study you so compulsively slogged thru, what does it mean, OR 1:7, etc?
your cousin in compulsivity
wyntre

[wyntre9]

RE: Abbreviations.
wow.  you're good.  gotta cut and paste yours and make my own cheat sheet.
wyntre

[domusic]

I concur it is an Antibody test where <1 is no past exposure. I believe. Normal range of 1 or less shows no antibodies to HCV and a >1 shows antibodies developed in response to having the HCV virus. I wouldn't think a larger number would mean much other than a higher antibody count. Probably a higher number would be better.

I also concur that playing guitar and bodhran would be very therapeutic. Celtic music is great for the spirit and should be prescribed for all HepC patients.

Regards,
DoMusic

[compulsive]

You mean as in:

admission to a medical facility (OR 2.1)


*lol* I never thought about those!

[chcnme]

Hi wyn! Glad you bit the bullet and are going with it! But whew - ya got me on the HCV Ab.   I googled it and pulled up some abstract (had no clue what I was reading lol.)  I think I'll stick to the idiotic thrombocyto stuff lmao :)  Sorry you're having nose bleeds and feeling lousy, but - you're doing great anyhow!  Keep it up!  I have a friend who used to suffer from sinus infections, and I'll never forget when he described to me how he did the irrigation (made my eyes water), but he said it had helped him immensely and that once he got used to it he loved it and didn't have anymore sinus problems.  I hope the nose bleeds and bruising will stop soon.  Your platelets are probably on the low side, but they'll keep an eye on them!

I had a bit of throbbing begin at the biopsy site (about a month after I had the biopsy - it started up).  And it hurt.  I went to my doc, and I said (pointing to the area and then pushing in on it)  I said "it hurts right here" .  He said "stop pushing there - didn't your mother ever tell you if something hurts when you push on it to stop pushing on it " :)  (he was great doc - he was funny), but anyhow he gave me a great explanation of why it had probably begun hurting again (after not hurting after biopsy).  He said the area (where they insert the needle) is one of the slowest areas to heal because the needle goes through some of the slowest healing tissue in the body (cartilage-like)  and that things like bending, pushing on it :) , heavy lifting, funny moves, sudden moves etc., might bring on pain later (kind of like sprained ankle).
It finally got better  (I wasn't on treatment),  but I do remember it started throbbing out of the blue and took about a month to quit throbbing.  Yours will get better as times goes on.  No pushing on it :)  

Great article, too.  

Thanks for posting your experience (now I know what I  might have to look forward to :)  I've heard the dry cough can be aggravating.  

Great article, too.  Best of luck! Hang in there.

[wyntre9]

wonder if  . . .never mind . . . but music absolutely heals the spirit.  ironic i forgot all about that after being a music teacher  (i use that erme loosely) the past several decades.  ok, here's another (aphorism - is there a limit to how many you can quote before getting kicked off the site?) you always end up hating what you do for a living - unless you're one of the lucky ones.

on a scientific note - it almost seems like folks who are diagnosed with acute hc are better off that the rest of us - they're treated earlier - obviously coz the symptoms are, well, so acute - mustard-hued skin is a sure tip-off.  not that i'd wish this disease, acute or otherwise, on my worst enemy - but does anyone have insight about that?
wyntre

[wyntre9]

ok.  now i'm really confused, maybe deranged is a better term.  i haven't gotten everyone's names straight as this whole hep-c thing has been a blitzkreig operation - first suspicious bt in september - muchos bloodwork, 1 endoscopy 1 bioposy later and already on tx - but in the past few weeks i have COMPULSIVELY read thru almost every thread - don't usually have time to participate and besides i had nothing to say which is probably just aS TRUE TODAY - BUT - AND WE'RE FINALLY GETTING TO THE POINT - NOTICE HOW I INCULDE YOU IN MY DECISION MAKING PROCESS - IT'S ALL THOSE YEARS OF i-STATEMENTS WITH THOUSANDs of hormone ravaged pre pubescent bodies - i assumed you were or had been on treatment - maybe it's coz i thought i saw your
id in so many threads.

hope you don't, but do you?
wyntre

[wyntre9]

to give credit -
doubledose posted the link to the article.
here it is
http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2007/121206_c.html
wyntre

[chcnme]

LOL!  You're cracking me up :)  You're funny.  I get really confused on who's treating and who's not, too, or who's a nonresponder and trying again or a first timer.  I did try about 3 1/2 years ago on Peg / Rib  (Pegasys and Copegus), and I was pulled real quick in due to low platelets, bleeding arggg  (hate that memory, from nose, teeth, it was awful), and I had a bad infection set in, too.  I wasn't about to go back on treatment after I recovered from the infection. BUT - back then I was under the care of a sub-optimal GI doc who had barely ANY experience treating Hep C.  I had no idea (when they started me) that my bad labs going in (on wbcs, platelets, rbcs, H&H) would predispose me to so many problems right off the bat  (and he didn't use rescue drugs, and I didn't even know what they were back then - lol).  My current doc (great hepatologist who has been seeing for the past year and half) said that on my first go around with tx I was basically doomed because my labs were so awful starting.  Under his care (this new doc), I have been doing a watch&wait thing and following his advice, and I've been offered the chance to get in a trial now, and so - I'm preparing!!   (or just waiting, actually - to begin).  But naw, I wouldn't say I've ever treated before - not really. I would say I went for a ride to H*** and back lol . Just kidding.  It wasn't that bad; it was mostly scary because of the bleeding and infection, but it was taken care of pronto, and I've been doing good since.  I'm lucky - my liver is doing OK, but I'm not getting younger, either, and I'm at a place in life now that I can treat, and so - I'm gonna go for it.  

See ya soon.  Hang in there!

[wyntre9]

in that case, that explains everytning (NOT)!
but thanks for the explanation of soreness in the biopsy site.
I want your doc.  I was really turned by his explanation that the skin surrounding the liver is the most difficult to penetrate as it's all cartilage and it takes a really long time to treat.
yuou're so lucky.  can i borrow him?
wyntre