Chronic HCV clearance...

Dr. D...

Is there any documentation of people clearing HCV
when in the chronic stage years down the road?

In fact, why do some acutes clear while the majority do not?

What do the acutes have that we (that haven't spontaneously cleared
or are on tx) don't have?

Thanks in advance...
enigma

[Douglas Dieterich, MD]

No there is not. There are rare cases of HIV+ people who suddenly get their immune systems back after  HIV treatment that clear their HCV but they were probably going to clear the acute infection anyway.
There is a lot of research on this subject and it is very complex. The basic answer is the people who clear have a broad and strong T cell response to HCV antigens, while the ones that do not clear are missing some of those responses. Treatment with interferon improves those immune responses to the virus and allows your T cells to do the job that they were meant to do and clear out the virus.
Exactly why some people figure out this virus and others don't is the big question still under study!
Good question!
DTD

[Xenigma]

In my first sentence I meant to  say...

Is there any documentation of people clearing HCV
when in the chronic stage years down the road without tx?