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HCV ABS positive after 6 months post treatment

Hi all,
I stopped treatment (genotype 2) 6 months ago and since then have received 2 negative HCV PCR Qty results and I just did another blood test and got a HCV ABS positive result.  This is the antibody blood test and I am concerned that this may be bad news.  I'll find out the PCR results in 2 weeks but until then I am concerned that if I have the antibodies I may be positive again.  Does anybody know anything about this?  Thanks.
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Avatar universal
I hope you are seeing some improvement in your symptoms and feeling better every day.

I agree with your analysis of occult HCV.
And also agree that even those that achieve SVR should follow up with medical monitoring and PCR as part of their health regimen.

take care, nice to see you.

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Avatar universal
Abbas said:
Presistent of HCV antibody or slighty high liver anzymes despite negative PCR results shows occult hcv.

Not so.
Persistance of Hcv antibodies after resolution does not mean there is hidden virus.
Some sensitized T cell are left behind, they are called memory cells. They are programmed to recognize the invading antigen, should it invade the body at a future date again. Memory cells iniciate a far swifter reaction than during the first invasion.

Slightly increased liver enzymes can mean many things, among them that occult virus is lurking.

Ina
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Avatar universal
Hello friends.I think that cure for HCV is still just a word with four character.There are medication that can reduce viral load of virus even untill undetectable level.But not eradiaction or cure.Cure is a unrealstic goal of interferons treatment, supression of virus is the goal of treatment.
Presistent of HCV antibody or slighty high liver anzymes despite negative PCR results shows occult hcv.
Usually virus hidden himself in the liver cells despite absence of virus in the blood.
there are some PCR tests that got the pcr test from ur liver biopsy but it is very expensive,if you do that probebly thay will find hcv virus in your liver pcr.
But occult hcv is less dangrous that active HCV.It seems that occult hcv dose not raplicate.But you must be under medical care.

With best regards,in good health,Abbas 23 years old,Persia.
14 months post tx,last pcr 10 months post tx was negative,thanks god,but slighty high liver anzymes.still suffer from some of side effects.






























T
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Avatar universal
why was an antibody test even ordered?  what is up with these drs ordering these tests?
your only good test, is a PCR. it looks like it will be negative
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Avatar universal
Voila, I'll be testing at the age of 70, and once more at 80...that is if I still give a f...

Ina
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Avatar universal
From the Tram Article: Occult hepatits C virus persistence:

identification and characteristics



Antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) are detectable by

commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassays in 50%

to 70% of patients at the onset of symptoms, increasing to more

than 90% after three months, and completely disappearing 10

to 20 years after resolution of hepatitis.8 Spontaneous recovery

and apparently complete clearance of HCV RNA occur in

15% to 50% of patients with acute disease.

Mike

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Avatar universal
Just about everyone who treats successfully carries the antibodies for life. Like CDM says, if you've been clear after six months of treatment you should have nothing to worry about. Frankly, not sure why they even bothered to run an antibody test.
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Avatar universal
mili

I think can do man is right, we will have the antibodies forever. Just like other past diseases ( measles, chicken pox, etc)we might have had. If you are SVR two years now, I bet you still are.
Im sure it is freaky to see HCV positive even if it is the antibodies test. Im sure your PCR will be clear.


can do

I hope you are feeling ok and making your way through. Miss your funnies around here. Nice to see you.
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Avatar universal
Hi, i believe you will allways have the antibodies. Some one will let me know if i'm wrong. After two clear pcr's i'm sure your svr.

Take care and try ot to worry, best to you
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