Viral load & Log10

Question

I haven't started to treat yet but just had results from my last HCV RNA-PCR. I understand that VL can jump around a bit, but mine has went from 23,964,000 (10/26/10) to 25,538,000 (04/06/11), an increase of 1,574,000. So, I'm wondering if the VL continues to climb when not treating? Also, my Log10 went from 7.380 to 7.407. Understanding how the VL and Log10 go together is difficult for me. Some of you may know that I'm waiting for my next CT scan to check the lesions which were seen on liver and kidney during biopsy. After the CT I'm hoping to find out if I can treat and when/how/what etc. The CT and results can't come quick enough for me, It's driving me from crazy to nuts! Thanks, Mike

Bill1954 · Accepted Answer

Hi Mike,

The difference between a viral load of 23,964,000 IU/mL and 25,538,000 IU/mL really doesn't have any clinical significance; in fact, there isn’t much difference between say, one million and ten million in regards to eliminating the virus and neither of those numbers relate to disease severity. Once treatment commences most of that goes away quickly. 

Viral load can be viewed in various ways; the term ‘log’ is short for ‘logarithm’, and is just another way of expressing the same number... looking at large numbers using log or exponential format is primarily for the sake of convenience. If you use your ‘log’ example it becomes readily apparent how close the two values compare to each other; log 7.380 and log 7.407 are almost identical.

You have plenty of company in the waiting department, by the way. It’s very frustrating when you first start with all this; later, perhaps you might appreciate that by it’s nature, HCV isn’t an emergency situation... this is usually a good thing.

Good luck with everything--

--Bill

Dee1956 · Answer

Thanks for posting the instruction for calculating log.  I was looking every place to try to find it.  My VL just decreased from 6.81 to 5.49 and I just knew something must be wrong.  Guess not, thanks!

Bill1954 · Answer

Hi again, Mike--

If you like, you can translate your viral load from numerical to log value easily using a scientific calculator. 

If you have a PC, go to the start button. From there, click on ‘programs (all programs)’, then to ‘accessories’, and finally to ‘calculator’.

When the calculator opens, be sure to switch from ‘standard’ to ‘scientific’ mode in the ‘view’ menu.

Then enter your numerical viral load, and press the ‘LOG’ key; this gives you the log-10 value of your viral load. It might be a bit awkward at first, but it really isn't difficult to do or understand once you become accustomed to looking at it this way.

Take care,

Bill

mlkinmb · Answer

Thanks Bill, what you said is what I thinking for the most part. The numbers and log can be confusing, why not just make it simple to understand? Just a way of justifying the money they make!  If someone was not to treat, do the VL numbers continue to rise? I'm up against lot of factors, which makes the wait so frustrating, Thanks again! Mike

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