HCV RNA

[Buba1962]

Having trouble interpreting labs .
HCV viral load PCR iu/ml 506604
HCV viral load RNA 5.70
Those numbers are from July
WBC 2.7
RBC 4.64
HGB 14.8
HCT 43.9
Platelet 61L.  ..these were from March

So if I am reading this correctly  WBC on low side plat.very low not sure what the viral load numbers mean ?

[bluemetal]

One last note on HCV RNA count affecting ALT/AST levels: every non-HCV-infected persons ALT/AST levels are normal save for an occasional small rise or drop depending upon diet, meds, etc. Every HCV-infected person on the other hand almost aleays has elevated ALT-AST. Did the HCV cause this perpetual change in ALT-AST levels or is it just coincidence that the levels shot up after exposure to the virus. This being said, most studies have concluded that continuosly elevated ALT/AST causes inflammation, and inflammation is directly linked to liver cell damage and scarring.   Im just keeping it real. Way too much false skepticism and over-optimism leading to false sense of security within the gt 1a population. Hope is good thing, but hope for the best and expect the worse( ie. keep it real).

[bluemetal]

And so... all this tells us is that there are conflicting opinions and diagnosis between medical professionals and therefore leads us full circle to the same conclusion--we must use these pieces of conflicting evidence in conjunction with common sense. For instance, look at the last line by Dr Pearlman: "But HCV viral load does not tell you how fast hepatitus is progressing." Hepatitus IS a virus per se, and if the RNA viral load is x number of copies in any given month, and the next month its higher, than its PROGRESSING. Rate of increase is irrelevant. The fact supported by clinical trials (and logic) is that a person who has 1 billion copies of HCV RNA in his entire bloodstream is MORE likely to not respond to tx than the person who has 1 million. Progression of virus replication therefore is more likely to cause liver cell damage by its sheer number because we know for a fact that it affects ALT and AST levels which in turn inflame the tissue (inflammation IS a direct link to scarring). Hepatituscentral.com is in conflict with Medscape and other sources on this point concerning high levels of HCV RNA and ALT/AST increase. Again, use logic. Who is in greater danger of getting cirrhosis: the patient with 1 billion gt 1a virons, or the patient with 1 million?

[hrsepwrguy]

Your viral load is the amount of specific viruses that you have, in a given volume of your blood (usually 1 milliliter = 1 cubic centimeter). More precisely, it means that the amount of Hep C genetic material found in your blood corresponds to as many Hep C viruses as the given number says. Therefore the given number denotes "viral equivalents."

There appears to be no significant correlation between HCV RNA levels and ALT values or histological activity in patients untreated by anti-viral therapies (Interferon). Viral load varies between infected individuals but is not a useful prognostic indicator nor does it measure the severity of virus-induced liver disease.

http://www.hepatitiscentral.com/hepatitis-c/what-is-viral-load.html?ssrc=left_sidebar

Why Is Viral Load Important?
Doctors use your viral load to determine how you're responding to treatment. Usually, you will find out your viral load when you start treatment and then repeat the test (usually at three months) as your treatment continues. With at least two viral load results (sometimes along with the results of other blood tests and biopsy), doctors can see how the virus is responding to the drugs. A significantly reduced viral load (a 100-fold decrease in amount of virus) often means that treatment is working. Ideally, treatment should make the virus undetectable.

A viral load test won't tell you about the severity of your liver disease. In other words, a high viral load doesn't necessarily mean you're more sick than someone with a lower viral load. However, viral load can predict how easily you might achieve an undetectable viral level with treatment. Someone who begins treatment with a low viral load will probably have an easier time of getting an undetectable viral level after treatment.

http://hepatitis.about.com/od/diagnosis/a/ViralLoad.htm

[can-do-man]

And this is backed up by countless of top Hep C doctors.
--------------------------------------

Am I Getting Sicker if My Viral Load Is Rising?

Dr. Anania: Not necessarily. With HCV, viral burden in hepatitis C does not necessarily predict the natural history of clinical disease. And therefore, patients need to understand that we use that measurement to help us guide therapy and response to therapy. We use it in conjunction with other types of laboratory data -- liver enzymes, liver biopsies sometimes, and viral genotype. Taken all together, these tests give us a snapshot of what is going on. But viral load numbers themselves do not predict disease.

Dr. Pearlman: Unlike HIV, HCV viral copies do not directly affect a patient's prognosis and how fast disease is progressing in the liver. Remember, we are measuring blood levels, not what is happening in liver cells. HIV viral load does have a lot to do with quicker progression to AIDS. But HCV viral load does not tell you how fast hepatitis is progressing.

http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/c-hcv-viral-load

I'm out of this one....

[bluemetal]

Be it as it may, "several factors " coming into play  not withstanding, and the article being from 1998, the bottom line hard fact stands to reason just by mere common sense in conjunction with the scientific evidence: the greater majority of relapsers during the past year have been Gt 1a cirrhotic. Logic (again in conjunction with the evidence) tells us that the higher the HCV RNA viral load in this particular virus, the more the likelihood of liver cell damage and further scarring.  The other "factors" may or may not contribute but remain considerably insignificant to the base fact:HCV Gt 1a replicates at a higher rate and is the most difficult to eradicate. Im not being pessimistic nor irrational in scaring anyone. And if Im in error Id rather err on the side of caution than false hope.

[Idyllic]

Errrr not sure how wise it is to leap in to this just would like to point out that first article is dated 1998

and in that Medscape article several factors came into play. Namely, patient ethnicity, sex distribution, alcohol consumption, age at infection, mode of HCV acquisition, serum transaminase levels, histological grade of inflammation, HBV status, HIV co-infection, HCV genotype and viral load.

I just mean it takes a long time reading (and more reading) and integrating all other sources of information in order for the dynamics of all this to fall into place. And I truly do not mean that to sound patronizing so I am honestly sorry in advance if it does.