Can someone pls explain test results

[random31]

My husband got his first blood test results with an "ALT 58". after that he got Hep B surface antibody ql "reactive". Hep C antibody "reactive" as well. The signal to cut-off was "27.70". After that his viral load showed "HCV RNA PCR QN 85200 <43 IU/ML" and also "4.93 <1.63 LogIU/mL". Also HCV Genotype, LIPA  - "GENOTYPE 1B". We haven't seen the doctor yet. Can someone explain us what this all means beside the fact that he has Hep C. Is the viral load high? Does it tell us anything about the length of the illness? What has Hep B to do with this? What are our chances to get cured? Thank you.

[FlGuy]

To the liver, alcohol is alcohol.  Until he finds out the condition of his liver, with further testing, it would be wise for him to abstain from drinking.

[random31]

He is not drinking any strong alcohol drinks for almost a year. Wine and beer on very rare occasions. Is marijuana strongly prohibited as well?

[Trinity4]

Telaprevir - Vertex Pharmaceuticals (will most likely be the first released)
Boceprevir - Merck

Both are protease inhibitors which target and kill the hepc virus.  The current standard of care only ramps up our own immune system to do the job.

Trinity

[random31]

What is the name of the new drug?

[Trinity4]

1B FlGuy.

Further testing should consist of a liver biopsy which is a procedure to remove a small piece of the liver so it can be examined with a microscope for signs of damage or disease.  Generally speaking, if a person is diagnosed with advanced liver disease they have had hepc for a long time because this disease is slow moving and normally takes decades for liver damage to occur.  Drinking and drugging will speed that process up.

The current standard of care is a 48 week course pegylated interferon and ribavirin.  The odds or eradicating the virus are around 45 percent.  New drugs added to the existing standard of care are expected to released sometime in 2011 which increases the odds of cure to around 70%.

Trinity

[FlGuy]

Geno type 1B is the flavor.  With the current meds, it's about 50% cure rate.  With new med coming soon - quite a bit higher, probably.

[FlGuy]

Are you sure that those little arrow thingys () and not (<), yse, hubby has HCV.  The 85,000 and 4.93 mean the same thing which is the viral load (which is lowish).  85,200 and 4.93 mean the same thing, just different representations.  With that information you can't tell how long he's been infected nor can you tell which flavor (there are several) of HCV he has.  More testing is required and then you would have a better idea of the chances to be cured.