Thank you, Malcolm. As usual you are a wealth of good information.
Cute dog. My cat teaches both feline and canine yoga classes if your pooch is interested. To the left is a photo of her warming up.
-- Edited by Isiscat2011 on Saturday 21st of June 2014 01:33:35 AM
The dog looks a lot like Cinnamon Girl don't you think?
Hey Huey...I`ll take that as a compliment!
Very kind of you, Malcolm..but Rusty has the advantage of youth!!
(Sorry Beacon...we`ve drifted way off topic here!)
mallani said
Jun 21, 2014
Guys,
Jill is far more beautiful than Rusty, our Australian Terrier. I'm off-topic again!!
Huey said
Jun 20, 2014
Isiscat2011 wrote:
Huey, you need to rephrase that!! They have the same beautiful hair color.
Exactly same color and beautiful both of them.
Isiscat2011 said
Jun 20, 2014
Huey, you need to rephrase that!! They have the same beautiful hair color.
Huey said
Jun 20, 2014
Isiscat2011 wrote:
Thank you, Malcolm. As usual you are a wealth of good information.
Cute dog. My cat teaches both feline and canine yoga classes if your pooch is interested. To the left is a photo of her warming up.
-- Edited by Isiscat2011 on Saturday 21st of June 2014 01:33:35 AM
The dog looks a lot like Cinnamon Girl don't you think?
Isiscat2011 said
Jun 20, 2014
Thank you, Malcolm. As usual you are a wealth of good information.
Cute dog. My cat teaches both feline and canine yoga classes if your pooch is interested. To the left is a photo of her warming up.
-- Edited by Isiscat2011 on Saturday 21st of June 2014 01:33:35 AM
mallani said
Jun 20, 2014
Hi Isiscat,
Autoimmune hepatitis is identical to chronic HepC. It is more common in females, and the autoantibodies are raised- particularly the ANA and ASMA (anti-smooth muscle antibody). Obviously HepC should be excluded. It's really a diagnosis by exclusion. In my case, the HepC test was not available, so I had a year of Prednisone and Imuran to suppress the autoimmune system, just in case. Great!
After SVR, research has shown that the HCV antibody titre drops. That's because the virus is virtually gone, and there's nothing to stimulate the B cells to produce antibodies. It will remain detectable. I haven't had my ANA and ASMA rechecked so I can't answer your question. Some patients develop RA and thyroid disease after HCV treatment, but this is all after Interferon, and it's hard to know what to blame. The autoimmune diseases are very complex, as we don't really know why we start producing antibodies to healthy tissues. It's worth knowing that about 20% of chronic HepC patients will have raised autoantibodies. Cheers.
Isiscat2011 said
Jun 20, 2014
Thanks, Malcolm. How is cryptogenic autoimmune hepatitis diagnosed? If that was the reason for my raised ANA wouldn't it have been diagnosed by now? I've had a liver biopsy, fibroscan, CTs, ultrasounds, and endless blood tests.
Does ANA return to normal with SVR?
mallani said
Jun 19, 2014
Hi guys,
I did a previous post about the association of moderate elevation of the AFP in chronic HepC. It seems to be OK as long as it doesn't suddenly elevate.
The ANA is also often raised in chronic HepC. It does not affect disease progression or response to treatment. Back in 1988, I was put on a year of prednisone as I had a raised ANA, and also ASMA. These are also present in cryptogenic autoimmune hepatitis. Needless to say, that was a waste of time, and it probably accelerated my HepC progression. The raised ANA is said to be an 'immunological epiphenomenon' - love the term!
Isiscat2011 said
Jun 19, 2014
This is good news and good to know too. My AFP has been elevated for several years now and I've been hoping it is just incidental to the HCV. Your experience certainly lends credence to that view.
I also have a high positive ANA titer. Does anyone have any experience with that?
OldenSlow said
Jun 19, 2014
Thought I'd resurrect this thread since I have new numbers to input. My AFP has fluctuated over the past several years. Not particularly worrisome, as it's symptomatic of the disease, but my docs have monitored it regularly. There were routinely 10-20 point swings in any given 6-12 month period. What was bothersome to me is that I've been trending upwards (on average) for the past 3-4 years. And of course you don't want to see it trend too high.
Just prior to treatment my AFP was 52 ng/mL. 60 and 43 on the two checks prior to that. 4 weeks into treatment it tested at 30 ng/mL. A marked movement in the right direction, but not too far out of line with prior experience. At eot+4 it was 12.6.
So, a 40 point drop in less than 6 months. I'm presumiing (and hoping) it's directly attributable to treatment, lack of inflammation, etc. and that it will stabilize and perhaps drop even more. Time will tell. We are all a work in progress, it seems.
wayne
Iris Dragonfly said
May 14, 2014
hi you guys... um, Beacon I think it was around 9? I'll look when I get home, I'm outta state for a few days.
I hope to treat with whatever doesn't have interferon! Am in the long waiting line at USC, next apt. is in Sept.
good to see you too Isis, been awhile....just checking in to see how folks are doing.
Blessings, Iris
Isiscat2011 said
May 5, 2014
Hi Iris! I've been wondering how you are doing and I'm so glad to see you here. So, are you planning to treat with the S/L combo when it comes out?
Beacon said
May 5, 2014
Iris,
May I ask what your AFP levels are?
Iris Dragonfly said
May 5, 2014
thank you guys for this thread....
I have often wondered about my elevated afp also. It was always a matter of routine blood work, but for years it has fallen within the normal range. Then all of a sudden it pops up as slightly elevated, and it never has gone back down. The funny thing is... it kind of corresponded with the onset of menopause, wonder if there is any connection?
thanks for listening (Hi Isiscat!)
Iris
Beacon said
May 4, 2014
Isis,
Thanks for the kind words. Let's keep our hopes high for-FDA approval, insurance approval of SOF/LDV, and SVR :).
Isiscat2011 said
May 4, 2014
Thank you, Beacon. I'm curious about that myself but I understand that there are many questions and fewer answers where HepC is concerned. I love to read new studies, but I know I can't extrapolate too much about my own situation from them, so don't worry.
Btw, I read your posts in the new members section today and I think you are using some very sound judgment and making really good decisions about your tx. Your knowledge and understanding of this stuff is quite impressive. With a little luck this time next year we should both be SVR and feeling pretty darn good too. I wish that for all of us.
Beacon said
May 4, 2014
Isis,
Sorry to hear about your elevated AFP levels. I am curious why your levels increased during and after tx, but remember Isis that the outcome of the study is that the bottom line is...... AFP levels are more of a concern for non-HCV patients. You and I are probably going to always have elevated levels which hopefully get lower after treatment. Plus your levels have dropped since treatment and you are still below the >59 level. Plus I see that you are getting regular ultrasounds which is really the true indicator of HCC for us HCV patients.
Isiscat2011 said
May 3, 2014
Beacon wrote:
Here is a link to an interesting article in the May issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology regarding alpha-fetoprotein levels and its relationship to HCC
Dang, I wish I wouldn't have read that. Here's the part I don't like: " HCC in patients with HCV-associated cirrhosis was most accurately detected with AFP levels > 59 ng/mL."
My AFP was running around 15 before tx. During and after tx it jumped (up to 67) and now it is hanging around at about 45-50.
Oh well, no point in worrying about it. That will only increase my blood pressure. lol
Beacon said
May 3, 2014
Here is a link to an interesting article in the May issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology regarding alpha-fetoprotein levels and its relationship to HCC
Btw, I have had an elevated AFP for years, long before I was diagnosed with cirrhosis. I have also had a positive ANA titer for years, which may or may not be related to HepC. My PCP monitors AFP every 6 months along with an ultrasound. Some docs don't bother with the AFP because it can be elevated with HepC but my PCP is very cool and he knows how much I like to watch the numbers.
Kind of funny that before I was diagnosed with HepC most medical/science related topics just made my eyes glaze over. Now I find this all very interesting.
Isiscat2011 said
Apr 20, 2014
Gracie wrote:
I haven't had a liver biopsy in years so one never knows... I could have cirrhosis. I'm scared to go get the biopsy to find out....
Hi Gracie:
It is scary but what we don't know can hurt us. I don't know where you are at in terms of treatment, but just for general information purposes, for anyone who is interested please consider the following:
Knowing whether you have cirrhosis or not is critical to making informed decisions about treatment, such as when to treat, how long to treat, optimal treatment drugs, etc. Additionally, in the near future and in the fairly likely event that insurance providers and governmental agencies initially decide to pay for tx only on a medical needs basis (due to the anticipated costs of the meds) patients will need to prove that they have more severe liver disease. I don't know what will be accepted as proof but it may be either a biopsy or a fibroscan result.
The good news is that fibroscans are non-invasive and considered as reliable as biopsies. They are also substantially less expensive. I noticed you are from Canada, Gracie, which is excellent because Canada has been using fibroscans for some time. You may already know all about this but Fibroscan was only FDA approved in the US last year.
Here is a link that shows where people can get fibroscans in the US: www.fibroscan502touch.com/find-a-facility
That reads kind of like a paid advertisement but I promise I'm not getting paid by the fibroscan folks! I am just sold on them having had both a liver biopsy and a fibroscan. The fibroscan takes less than 10 minutes and is easier than you can imagine. And, for those who like instant gratification (who doesn't ?) the results are available immediately! Pretty cool.
Thanks for adding more information to this AFP business. My labs read AFP levels in g/mL units and I'm not sure how that relates to ug/L units. But from what you're saying my elevated levels are pointing in the same direction as my Fibrosure diagnosis of cirrhosis but as I posted previously, my serum albumin levels are within range. The elevated AFP levels caught the attention of my PCP. And I know that we cirrhotics have to have ultrasounds forever since we will always be more at risk for HCC and he wants me to have one every 6 or 12 months. It's good to know that AFP is not a good tumor marker.
Beacon said
Apr 20, 2014
I hear you on that one Gracie. I haven't had a biopsy myself but rather a Fibrosure blood test which is supposedly more trustworthy on low end of fibrosis and on the high end of fibrosis (F4) cirrhosis than in the middle range of fibrosis.
mallani said
Apr 20, 2014
Hi all,
This has been an interesting thread for me. I was unaware of the association of elevated AFP with chronic HCV. I have had this test done since the late 1990's, and kept a chart of the progress. My Lab uses an upper limit of 12 ug/L, and mine has ranged from 4 to 8. After cirrhosis was confirmed in 2008, there has been no change in the AFP levels.
I played golf with a Pathologist yesterday, and asked about the supposed association with chronic HCV. He was unaware of any direct association, but said that cirrhotics often had a raised AFP, but usually <100, and always associated with decreased serum albumin.
I've since done a search of Publications, and it appears that up to 20% of HCV cirrhotics may have elevated AFP, and this can decrease during HCV treatment.
For my post- SVR 6 monthly followup, my Hepatologist was not keen to include the AFP, as it is such an unreliable marker for HCC. He's put it in, just to shut me up. Good imaging is the best way to exclude early HCC.
I think anyone with an elevated AFP before Rx, should assume they have cirrhosis and get the appropriate tests to confirm this. Cheers.
Gracie said
Apr 20, 2014
I haven't had a liver biopsy in years so one never knows... I could have cirrhosis. I'm scared to go get the biopsy to find out....
Beacon said
Apr 19, 2014
Wayne,
That's interesting that darkstar's AFP levels fell so far during treatment. I'll assume those units are ng/mL.
Beacon said
Apr 19, 2014
Gracie,
It's good to know that elevated AFP levels is common in HCV. I know I had an ultrasound done after dx (Sept 2013) and it showed no abnormalities " normal size and configuration, no focal lesions observed". But unlike you I have been dx with cirrhosis so I guess my PCP is being more cautious.
OldenSlow said
Apr 19, 2014
Hi Bruce,
We have a forum member (darkstar) whose AFP has fallen from >230 to 3.5 during treatment. Much of that happened early in tx and I believe he's on a 16 week S/O combo. I'm doing 16 wk S/O/R and AFP went from 60 to 30 during first month. Won't have it checked again until EOT, but of course encouraged by his numbers.
wayne
Gracie said
Apr 19, 2014
My AFP was elevated as well two or three years ago. My doctor had me do an MRI and I had no signs of HCC or cirrhosis. She said it was yet another symptom of having active hep c, and that monitoring was all that was required. Understand your concern, it's not nice to hear a tumour marker test is elevated, but it is a common symptom.
Beacon said
Apr 19, 2014
Tig,
Thanks for the comforting information and for the links, now I feel better. And LOL funny on the pregnancy thing. I sure hope I'm not :>)
The AFP is fairly non specific and can be affected by a number of things. When HCC is likely, and after talking with my physician and members here as well, your AFP marker will be MUCH higher. HCV by itself will be cause alone to elevate your AFP and no doubt that is what has happened in your case. This is very common in HCV patients. As long as your doctor is aware of this and it remains only mildly elevated like this and you continue with the scheduled diagnostic U/S's, I wouldn't place any worry on it. There is also one thing you need to be concerned with though.... you could be pregnant
I started doing a little cardiovascular exercise (hiking and light jogging) on some hilly trails and then I became concerned that maybe I was pushing too much blood through my cirrhotic liver. But I need the exercise to keep other potential problems (diabetes, cholesterol, triglycerides,etc) at bay. For a few years I've been on high blood pressures medications (3) and don't want to be on any more maintenance medications if I can help it. So my PPC thinks I can wait for an interferon-free treatment and in the meantime wants to keep an eye on my liver function so I just did a liver function test and he ordered an AFP test as he wants to keep an eye also on any sign of liver cancer.
Here are the results of my liver panel:
Last test Most recent
Albumin 3.9 4.3 (range 3.6-4.8)
Bilirubin (total) .8 .6 (range 0.0-1.2
AST 85 53 (range 0-40)
ALT 90 55 (range 0-44)
INR 1.2 1.1 (range 0.8-1.2)
This all looks like a well functioning liver and looks like the exercise certainly didn't hurt my results.
But here is my PPC's concern and now mine.
My alpha-fetoprotein, serum tumor marker showed high at a level of 9.3 (the range is 0.0-8.3).
This doesn't seem to far out of range but it didn't seem to sit well with him and he wants to monitor this and wants me to have another AFP test in a month. Probably not a bad idea but it's just another thing to worry about while I wait for treatment.
Hey Huey...I`ll take that as a compliment!
Very kind of you, Malcolm..but Rusty has the advantage of youth!!
(Sorry Beacon...we`ve drifted way off topic here!)
Guys,
Jill is far more beautiful than Rusty, our Australian Terrier. I'm off-topic again!!
Exactly same color and beautiful both of them.
Huey, you need to rephrase that!! They have the same beautiful hair color.
The dog looks a lot like Cinnamon Girl don't you think?
Thank you, Malcolm. As usual you are a wealth of good information.
Cute dog. My cat teaches both feline and canine yoga classes if your pooch is interested. To the left is a photo of her warming up.
-- Edited by Isiscat2011 on Saturday 21st of June 2014 01:33:35 AM
Hi Isiscat,
Autoimmune hepatitis is identical to chronic HepC. It is more common in females, and the autoantibodies are raised- particularly the ANA and ASMA (anti-smooth muscle antibody). Obviously HepC should be excluded. It's really a diagnosis by exclusion. In my case, the HepC test was not available, so I had a year of Prednisone and Imuran to suppress the autoimmune system, just in case. Great!
After SVR, research has shown that the HCV antibody titre drops. That's because the virus is virtually gone, and there's nothing to stimulate the B cells to produce antibodies. It will remain detectable. I haven't had my ANA and ASMA rechecked so I can't answer your question. Some patients develop RA and thyroid disease after HCV treatment, but this is all after Interferon, and it's hard to know what to blame. The autoimmune diseases are very complex, as we don't really know why we start producing antibodies to healthy tissues. It's worth knowing that about 20% of chronic HepC patients will have raised autoantibodies. Cheers.
Thanks, Malcolm. How is cryptogenic autoimmune hepatitis diagnosed? If that was the reason for my raised ANA wouldn't it have been diagnosed by now? I've had a liver biopsy, fibroscan, CTs, ultrasounds, and endless blood tests.
Does ANA return to normal with SVR?
Hi guys,
I did a previous post about the association of moderate elevation of the AFP in chronic HepC. It seems to be OK as long as it doesn't suddenly elevate.
The ANA is also often raised in chronic HepC. It does not affect disease progression or response to treatment. Back in 1988, I was put on a year of prednisone as I had a raised ANA, and also ASMA. These are also present in cryptogenic autoimmune hepatitis. Needless to say, that was a waste of time, and it probably accelerated my HepC progression. The raised ANA is said to be an 'immunological epiphenomenon' - love the term!
This is good news and good to know too. My AFP has been elevated for several years now and I've been hoping it is just incidental to the HCV. Your experience certainly lends credence to that view.
I also have a high positive ANA titer. Does anyone have any experience with that?
Thought I'd resurrect this thread since I have new numbers to input. My AFP has fluctuated over the past several years. Not particularly worrisome, as it's symptomatic of the disease, but my docs have monitored it regularly. There were routinely 10-20 point swings in any given 6-12 month period. What was bothersome to me is that I've been trending upwards (on average) for the past 3-4 years. And of course you don't want to see it trend too high.
Just prior to treatment my AFP was 52 ng/mL. 60 and 43 on the two checks prior to that. 4 weeks into treatment it tested at 30 ng/mL. A marked movement in the right direction, but not too far out of line with prior experience. At eot+4 it was 12.6.
So, a 40 point drop in less than 6 months. I'm presumiing (and hoping) it's directly attributable to treatment, lack of inflammation, etc. and that it will stabilize and perhaps drop even more. Time will tell. We are all a work in progress, it seems.
wayne
I hope to treat with whatever doesn't have interferon! Am in the long waiting line at USC, next apt. is in Sept.
good to see you too Isis, been awhile....just checking in to see how folks are doing.
Blessings, Iris
Hi Iris! I've been wondering how you are doing and I'm so glad to see you here. So, are you planning to treat with the S/L combo when it comes out?
Iris,
May I ask what your AFP levels are?
thank you guys for this thread....
I have often wondered about my elevated afp also. It was always a matter of routine blood work, but for years it has fallen within the normal range. Then all of a sudden it pops up as slightly elevated, and it never has gone back down. The funny thing is... it kind of corresponded with the onset of menopause, wonder if there is any connection?
thanks for listening (Hi Isiscat!)
Iris
Isis,
Thanks for the kind words. Let's keep our hopes high for-FDA approval, insurance approval of SOF/LDV, and SVR :).
Thank you, Beacon. I'm curious about that myself but I understand that there are many questions and fewer answers where HepC is concerned. I love to read new studies, but I know I can't extrapolate too much about my own situation from them, so don't worry.
Btw, I read your posts in the new members section today and I think you are using some very sound judgment and making really good decisions about your tx. Your knowledge and understanding of this stuff is quite impressive. With a little luck this time next year we should both be SVR and feeling pretty darn good too.
I wish that for all of us.
Isis,
Sorry to hear about your elevated AFP levels. I am curious why your levels increased during and after tx, but remember Isis that the outcome of the study is that the bottom line is...... AFP levels are more of a concern for non-HCV patients. You and I are probably going to always have elevated levels which hopefully get lower after treatment. Plus your levels have dropped since treatment and you are still below the >59 level. Plus I see that you are getting regular ultrasounds which is really the true indicator of HCC for us HCV patients.
Dang, I wish I wouldn't have read that. Here's the part I don't like: " HCC in patients with HCV-associated cirrhosis was most accurately detected with AFP levels > 59 ng/mL."
My AFP was running around 15 before tx. During and after tx it jumped (up to 67) and now it is hanging around at about 45-50.
Oh well, no point in worrying about it. That will only increase my blood pressure. lol
Here is a link to an interesting article in the May issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology regarding alpha-fetoprotein levels and its relationship to HCC
http://www.doctorslounge.com/index.php/news/pb/46437
thanks Tig
Btw, I have had an elevated AFP for years, long before I was diagnosed with cirrhosis. I have also had a positive ANA titer for years, which may or may not be related to HepC. My PCP monitors AFP every 6 months along with an ultrasound. Some docs don't bother with the AFP because it can be elevated with HepC but my PCP is very cool and he knows how much I like to watch the numbers.
Kind of funny that before I was diagnosed with HepC most medical/science related topics just made my eyes glaze over. Now I find this all very interesting.
Hi Gracie:
It is scary but what we don't know can hurt us. I don't know where you are at in terms of treatment, but just for general information purposes, for anyone who is interested please consider the following:
Knowing whether you have cirrhosis or not is critical to making informed decisions about treatment, such as when to treat, how long to treat, optimal treatment drugs, etc. Additionally, in the near future and in the fairly likely event that insurance providers and governmental agencies initially decide to pay for tx only on a medical needs basis (due to the anticipated costs of the meds) patients will need to prove that they have more severe liver disease. I don't know what will be accepted as proof but it may be either a biopsy or a fibroscan result.
The good news is that fibroscans are non-invasive and considered as reliable as biopsies. They are also substantially less expensive. I noticed you are from Canada, Gracie, which is excellent because Canada has been using fibroscans for some time. You may already know all about this but Fibroscan was only FDA approved in the US last year.
Here is a link that shows where people can get fibroscans in the US: www.fibroscan502touch.com/find-a-facility
That reads kind of like a paid advertisement but I promise I'm not getting paid by the fibroscan folks! I am just sold on them having had both a liver biopsy and a fibroscan. The fibroscan takes less than 10 minutes and is easier than you can imagine. And, for those who like instant gratification (who doesn't ?) the results are available immediately! Pretty cool.
Hi Bruce,
Here's a conversion table for you:
Grams per milliliter to micrograms per liter (g/mL to g/L)
Mallani,
Thanks for adding more information to this AFP business. My labs read AFP levels in g/mL units and I'm not sure how that relates to ug/L units. But from what you're saying my elevated levels are pointing in the same direction as my Fibrosure diagnosis of cirrhosis but as I posted previously, my serum albumin levels are within range. The elevated AFP levels caught the attention of my PCP. And I know that we cirrhotics have to have ultrasounds forever since we will always be more at risk for HCC and he wants me to have one every 6 or 12 months. It's good to know that AFP is not a good tumor marker.
I hear you on that one Gracie. I haven't had a biopsy myself but rather a Fibrosure blood test which is supposedly more trustworthy on low end of fibrosis and on the high end of fibrosis (F4) cirrhosis than in the middle range of fibrosis.
Hi all,
This has been an interesting thread for me. I was unaware of the association of elevated AFP with chronic HCV. I have had this test done since the late 1990's, and kept a chart of the progress. My Lab uses an upper limit of 12 ug/L, and mine has ranged from 4 to 8. After cirrhosis was confirmed in 2008, there has been no change in the AFP levels.
I played golf with a Pathologist yesterday, and asked about the supposed association with chronic HCV. He was unaware of any direct association, but said that cirrhotics often had a raised AFP, but usually <100, and always associated with decreased serum albumin.
I've since done a search of Publications, and it appears that up to 20% of HCV cirrhotics may have elevated AFP, and this can decrease during HCV treatment.
For my post- SVR 6 monthly followup, my Hepatologist was not keen to include the AFP, as it is such an unreliable marker for HCC. He's put it in, just to shut me up. Good imaging is the best way to exclude early HCC.
I think anyone with an elevated AFP before Rx, should assume they have cirrhosis and get the appropriate tests to confirm this. Cheers.
I haven't had a liver biopsy in years so one never knows... I could have cirrhosis. I'm scared to go get the biopsy to find out....
Wayne,
That's interesting that darkstar's AFP levels fell so far during treatment. I'll assume those units are ng/mL.
Gracie,
It's good to know that elevated AFP levels is common in HCV. I know I had an ultrasound done after dx (Sept 2013) and it showed no abnormalities " normal size and configuration, no focal lesions observed". But unlike you I have been dx with cirrhosis so I guess my PCP is being more cautious.
Hi Bruce,
We have a forum member (darkstar) whose AFP has fallen from >230 to 3.5 during treatment. Much of that happened early in tx and I believe he's on a 16 week S/O combo. I'm doing 16 wk S/O/R and AFP went from 60 to 30 during first month. Won't have it checked again until EOT, but of course encouraged by his numbers.
wayne
My AFP was elevated as well two or three years ago. My doctor had me do an MRI and I had no signs of HCC or cirrhosis. She said it was yet another symptom of having active hep c, and that monitoring was all that was required. Understand your concern, it's not nice to hear a tumour marker test is elevated, but it is a common symptom.
Tig,
Thanks for the comforting information and for the links, now I feel better. And LOL funny on the pregnancy thing. I sure hope I'm not :>)
Hi Beacon,
The AFP is fairly non specific and can be affected by a number of things. When HCC is likely, and after talking with my physician and members here as well, your AFP marker will be MUCH higher. HCV by itself will be cause alone to elevate your AFP and no doubt that is what has happened in your case. This is very common in HCV patients. As long as your doctor is aware of this and it remains only mildly elevated like this and you continue with the scheduled diagnostic U/S's, I wouldn't place any worry on it. There is also one thing you need to be concerned with though.... you could be pregnant
Tig
Here's some additional data on the topic:
http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/provider/cases/HCC4.asp
http://www.jwatch.org/jw201202070000004/2012/02/07/fetoprotein-screening-patients-with-hepatitis-c
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18795704
Hey everyone,
I started doing a little cardiovascular exercise (hiking and light jogging) on some hilly trails and then I became concerned that maybe I was pushing too much blood through my cirrhotic liver. But I need the exercise to keep other potential problems (diabetes, cholesterol, triglycerides,etc) at bay. For a few years I've been on high blood pressures medications (3) and don't want to be on any more maintenance medications if I can help it. So my PPC thinks I can wait for an interferon-free treatment and in the meantime wants to keep an eye on my liver function so I just did a liver function test and he ordered an AFP test as he wants to keep an eye also on any sign of liver cancer.
Here are the results of my liver panel:
Last test Most recent
Albumin 3.9 4.3 (range 3.6-4.8)
Bilirubin (total) .8 .6 (range 0.0-1.2
AST 85 53 (range 0-40)
ALT 90 55 (range 0-44)
INR 1.2 1.1 (range 0.8-1.2)
This all looks like a well functioning liver and looks like the exercise certainly didn't hurt my results.
But here is my PPC's concern and now mine.
My alpha-fetoprotein, serum tumor marker showed high at a level of 9.3 (the range is 0.0-8.3).
This doesn't seem to far out of range but it didn't seem to sit well with him and he wants to monitor this and wants me to have another AFP test in a month. Probably not a bad idea but it's just another thing to worry about while I wait for treatment.
Anybody else had any dealings with AFP tests?