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Post Info TOPIC: Am I infected again?
Huey


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RE: Am I infected again?
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wmlj1960 wrote:
Josh Haynie wrote:

lol positive for antibodies for life sounds alarming ...from what you say the virus and antibodys are 2 totaly different things....

 i will research as to why a person may for life have hcv antibodys ... thanks for the info malcolm....  everytime i hear you or other people comment i learn sumthing....

 Hi Josh,

 I've been infected with HIV/HCV for 20+ years and have yet to really learn very much about HCV. But I know a little about how the immune system works concerning HIV. Although I'm fairly sure I'm at least close to accurate in my kindergarten description, I can certainly be mistaken about any part of it. So please keep this in mind. smile

 When the immune system identifies invading viruses, bacteria etc. it triggers a response through the lymph systems macrophage which then triggers 'Helper T Cells' . These T cells alarm the systems B cells. These B cells are what produce "antibodies" specific to fighting off the invading infection. Once the invading virus has been eradicated,  suppressor T cells reduce the production of fighter antibody's but some remain in case of a future attack by the same invading virus.

It's kind of how they produce flu vaccines engineered to fight a particular strain of flu . The way I understand it the vaccine is actually a flu virus, but an inactive one incapable of replication. But this inactive flu virus does still trigger the immune system to go through the process as I described. That way, if your body is invaded by this strain of flu, the immune system has already produced antibodies ahead of time to fight it off quickly = no replication of the infection.

I assume that with HCV, the Rx's we take attack the virus itself, not the antibodies. After the virus has been cleared (SVR), suppressor T cells reduce the production of antibody's just like with other invading viruses foriegn biological threats etc. including HIV. And some HCV antibodies remain in case of future encounters with your particular geno / strain of the virus.

Again, I'm likely not entirely accurate with my description. This is just how I understand it. smile

Josh Haynie wrote:

this forum and its members new and veteran alike are truly great ...

I agree!!!

 



-- Edited by wmlj1960 on Friday 1st of August 2014 07:13:14 AM

 yes and the reason HCV does not act like a flavinvirus has to do with this signaling of the T cells, Flavinvirus's get around this. No T cells are called.



__________________

  HCV Genotype 3a , now Psot-Tx was on S/riba. First VL was 5.8 mil on 7-5-13 then "und" at 3.8 weeks. 06/13/14 still und. off meds 3 days back on 7/29 Last pill 08/10/14 SVR+4

 
wmlj1960


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Josh Haynie wrote:

lol positive for antibodies for life sounds alarming ...from what you say the virus and antibodys are 2 totaly different things....

 i will research as to why a person may for life have hcv antibodys ... thanks for the info malcolm....  everytime i hear you or other people comment i learn sumthing....

 Hi Josh,

 I've been infected with HIV/HCV for 20+ years and have yet to really learn very much about HCV. But I know a little about how the immune system works concerning HIV. Although I'm fairly sure I'm at least close to accurate in my kindergarten description, I can certainly be mistaken about any part of it. So please keep this in mind. smile

 When the immune system identifies invading viruses, bacteria etc. it triggers a response through the lymph systems macrophage which then triggers 'Helper T Cells' . These T cells alarm the systems B cells. These B cells are what produce "antibodies" specific to fighting off the invading infection. Once the invading virus has been eradicated,  suppressor T cells reduce the production of fighter antibody's but some remain in case of a future attack by the same invading virus.

It's kind of how they produce flu vaccines engineered to fight a particular strain of flu . The way I understand it the vaccine is actually a flu virus, but an inactive one incapable of replication. But this inactive flu virus does still trigger the immune system to go through the process as I described. That way, if your body is invaded by this strain of flu, the immune system has already produced antibodies ahead of time to fight it off quickly = no replication of the infection.

I assume that with HCV, the Rx's we take attack the virus itself, not the antibodies. After the virus has been cleared (SVR), suppressor T cells reduce the production of antibody's just like with other invading viruses foriegn biological threats etc. including HIV. And some HCV antibodies remain in case of future encounters with your particular geno / strain of the virus.

Again, I'm likely not entirely accurate with my description. This is just how I understand it. smile

Josh Haynie wrote:

this forum and its members new and veteran alike are truly great ...

I agree!!!

 



-- Edited by wmlj1960 on Friday 1st of August 2014 07:13:14 AM

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60 yo, geno 1a, Dx 1994 HCV-HIV co-inf, Dx 2013 decompensated cirrhosis
Tx #1 - 24wks Sov+Riba /SOT 7-24-2014/UND@EOT/DETECTED@EOT+16 wks
Tx #2 - 24wks Harvoni /SOT 7-25-2015/UND@EOT,+12,+24,+52 = SVR

Mike

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Fireman Rob


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Hi Josh, 

Yes, there are thousands of people that have been exposed to the antibodies but it never develops into an active virus. For some reason, more women and young children keep the virus at bay and never need meds to clear a viral load. Just food for thought...



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Age 33, Male. GT-1 for ten years. Diagnosed in March, 2014.

Treated with Sovaldi/Olysio: SVR 24 on February 16, 2015!
Josh Haynie


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lol positive for antibodies for life sounds alarming ...from what you say the virus and antibodys are 2 totaly different things....

 i will research as to why a person may for life have hcv antibodys ... thanks for the info malcolm....  everytime i hear you or other people comment i learn sumthing.... this forum and its members new and veteran alike are truly great ...



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genotype 1  HCV 4,958,318 iu/ml    HCV Log updated soon  iu/ml------5'10 135lbs 9-15-83  genotype 1 since 2002----Pendleton,Oregon
mallani


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Hi Sheila,

Sounds as if you had your antibody testing done with the Ortho Vitros anti-HCV 3.0 Chemiluminescence Assay. As far as I know, that's the only one with a signal to cut-off ratio of 1.00

The fact that you're positive is hardly surprising. All HCV patients will be positive for antibodies, usually for life.  It does not mean relapse.

If you're worried, get your viral load done, with a PCR test. Cheers.



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Geno 1b, IL28B CT,  x3 prior relapser,  ex-cirrhotic, 75 yo, did 48 weeks with Victrelis/Peg./Riba.  VL 1.28m at start, UNDET. at 8 ,12 ,16 ,24 ,30  and 48 weeks.  EOT 15 Feb 2013 , UNDET. at EOT + 28 weeks. SVR!  Still Undet. at EOT +5 years

Malcolm
Matt Chris


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Hello Sheila

Do you know what exact test was run?

Sometimes the test for the HCV antibodies is run, which is not a sure indicating that you have a viral load 

matt



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"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"

61 year old Geno type A1, F4 Cirrhotic, started 24 weeks on Harvoni 12-17-14 ,EOT-5 week = UND, 8-31-15 =UND , SVR-24 Baby YES! 
hrsetrdr


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I "transplanted" this Chatbox message posted by Sheila, who is a new member.   I did this because we encourage members to start a message thread in one of the Forum's sub-sections, thus giving other members an opportunity to convey information and comments.

After my hep c treatments ended, I showed that it was cleared through lab work. 7 years later, i had lab work done again and it shows positive and the level should be less than 1.00 and mine is 32.3. Am I infected again? I haven't done any risky behavior in all those years.

 

BTW, Welcome to the Forums Sheila, there are members here who might be able to give you some direction with this matter.



-- Edited by hrsetrdr on Wednesday 30th of July 2014 07:45:58 PM

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"hrsetrdr"=Tim

Treatment halted on Aug.8,2012 due to vision problem.  6 month post tx labs

Aug.2013 SVR

Be strong when you are weak, brave when you are scared, and humble when you are victorious.
- Unknown

 

 
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