Svr for 2 years. Now rna detected below 15ml blah blag
mallani said
Aug 24, 2016
Hi Nicole,
You haven't relapsed!
Like you, I had a VL done recently at 3 years post SVR. It came back 'Negative- <15 IU/ml'. This is my Labs new way of saying they can't detect the virus. They use a LLOQ of 15 and a LLOD of 10, so I could have up to 9 IU/ml of virus in my blood.
You will have some residual virus circulating in your blood, probably forever. Your immune system has learned to control it. You will also test positive to HCV antibodies, again probably for life.
SVR should be taken as it is- Sustained Viral Response. It means that almost all of the virus has been eradicated. It does not mean NO virus.
This is why we can't donate blood and should not share razors etc.
Just relax and tell your OBG doc to get educated. Cheers and congrats.
JimmyK said
Aug 24, 2016
Libnic84 wrote:
Would that mean I'm lying when I say I can't give it to you anymore because I'm "cured". If there are still tiny traces there?
It is more likely that the test is wrong / over sensitive.
The way HEP C replicates I do not believe you can be 2 years SVR and then come up detected other than for the anti body. Even a reinfection would be off that <15 scale.
Next test will show you that and congrats on the one in the oven. ;)
JimmyK
Shadowfax said
Aug 24, 2016
Hi Nicole,
The transmission of HVC is not as easy as many others such as HVB and requires blood to blood contact. That being said, staying on the safe side, I would not temp fate. You cannot ever donate blood at this point but who knows what the future will hold with SVR
Take care
SF
Libnic84 said
Aug 24, 2016
Would that mean I'm lying when I say I can't give it to you anymore because I'm "cured". If there are still tiny traces there?
Pablito said
Aug 24, 2016
Hi there
You haven't relapsed. As Tig says, if you had your VL would be way, way higher. It might be that the recent test was done with a more sensitive assay and picked up tiny traces - again, like Tig says, that the body's immune system keeps in check - that were perhaps there previously but the less sensitive PCR didn't detect.
Good luck with the birth!
Pablo
Sydhanrahan said
Aug 24, 2016
Hi Nicole,
you poor little thing. Anyone who has ever been pregnant will know how you must feel. i hope I'm reading what Tig says accurately and that basically less than 15 means that there is such a recent tiny number of viruses in your system that your immuno system takes care of them.
That's all any of us here, waiting for that 12 week EOT test want to hear.
i didn't know I had Hep C until after I'd had my four children and it's evidently very low odds to pass it via pregnancy. It's natural though to feel very anxious in your position. However based on the statistics available I think everything's going to turn out just fine
Syd
Tig said
Aug 24, 2016
Hi Nicole,
Have you had the test repeated? Don't overthink it until you do that. You mentioned two different labs, they can have different sensitivities and interpretations. If you had relapsed, your viral load would be elevated, really elevated. Your test says detected but <15, that could be a specific way that lab lists their negative results, I've seen it written that way before. They list the HCVaB first, which will always be detected and the viral load, which has a LLoQ of <15, which it is. It can be very confusing. The chance of relapse after SVR12/24 is incredibly low <.5%.
They consider SVR12/24 the "cure". That said, we will always be positive for HCV antibodies, that doesn't mean we have active or chronic HCV, it means we used to. That's the test blood banks use to screen blood. We can't donate blood except to ourselves. For now anyway.
SVR mean "Sustained Viral Response". Treatment reduces your viral load to a undetected level, <15iu/ml and it allows your immune system to sustain the viral response at that level. Again, they consider SVR 12/24 a cure and the chance you relapsed after that long is almost non existent, but the only way to find out is to confirm it. Do you know what your ALT and AST are? Following relapse they are usually elevated again. Retesting is the best way to answer your question. Good luck...
Here's a bit of an explanation. If I can help, let me know. There is always someone that will try and answer your questions.
i did the original tx. Then I did boceprevir and it came back. And 2 years ago I finished harvoni wit's interferon and ribivrin. I've been undetected since and last test was undetected in March. I'm not high risk. I don't use drugs or any other high risk activities. Found out I was preg. Got a viral load test becauas obgyn docs look at you like you have six heads when you say you treated hep c and haven't had it in years. And it came back detected below 15ml per whatever. The doctor called and said your hep c levels were normal. What?? Wtf is normal. Is it detected or not? How would I have it again if you aren't supposed to relapse. How did I not have it multiple times and now it's detected. I'm so confused. We had a patient today on labor and delivery hcv positive undetecable rna and the Doctor said oh she's hep positive just has a low viral load so be careful. Is that a true statement. If the medications are to eradicate the virus so it cannot replicate from itself how the eff would anyone have a low viral load below 15ml. I'm getting so pissed off. Can we relapse or can we not. Can there just be a low amount of virus in our blood or is that ignorance. I am tired of all the debate. I just want to know what I am. and how I'm supposed to go about my life if I actually don't know what the eff I am. Sorry. end of rant.
Hi Nicole,
You haven't relapsed!
Like you, I had a VL done recently at 3 years post SVR. It came back 'Negative- <15 IU/ml'. This is my Labs new way of saying they can't detect the virus. They use a LLOQ of 15 and a LLOD of 10, so I could have up to 9 IU/ml of virus in my blood.
You will have some residual virus circulating in your blood, probably forever. Your immune system has learned to control it. You will also test positive to HCV antibodies, again probably for life.
SVR should be taken as it is- Sustained Viral Response. It means that almost all of the virus has been eradicated. It does not mean NO virus.
This is why we can't donate blood and should not share razors etc.
Just relax and tell your OBG doc to get educated. Cheers and congrats.
It is more likely that the test is wrong / over sensitive.
The way HEP C replicates I do not believe you can be 2 years SVR and then come up detected other than for the anti body. Even a reinfection would be off that <15 scale.
Next test will show you that and congrats on the one in the oven. ;)
JimmyK
Hi Nicole,
The transmission of HVC is not as easy as many others such as HVB and requires blood to blood contact. That being said, staying on the safe side, I would not temp fate. You cannot ever donate blood at this point but who knows what the future will hold with SVR
Take care
SF
Would that mean I'm lying when I say I can't give it to you anymore because I'm "cured". If there are still tiny traces there?
Hi there
You haven't relapsed. As Tig says, if you had your VL would be way, way higher. It might be that the recent test was done with a more sensitive assay and picked up tiny traces - again, like Tig says, that the body's immune system keeps in check - that were perhaps there previously but the less sensitive PCR didn't detect.
Good luck with the birth!
Pablo
Hi Nicole,
you poor little thing. Anyone who has ever been pregnant will know how you must feel. i hope I'm reading what Tig says accurately and that basically less than 15 means that there is such a recent tiny number of viruses in your system that your immuno system takes care of them.
That's all any of us here, waiting for that 12 week EOT test want to hear.
i didn't know I had Hep C until after I'd had my four children and it's evidently very low odds to pass it via pregnancy. It's natural though to feel very anxious in your position. However based on the statistics available I think everything's going to turn out just fine
Syd
Hi Nicole,
Have you had the test repeated? Don't overthink it until you do that. You mentioned two different labs, they can have different sensitivities and interpretations. If you had relapsed, your viral load would be elevated, really elevated. Your test says detected but <15, that could be a specific way that lab lists their negative results, I've seen it written that way before. They list the HCVaB first, which will always be detected and the viral load, which has a LLoQ of <15, which it is. It can be very confusing. The chance of relapse after SVR12/24 is incredibly low <.5%.
They consider SVR12/24 the "cure". That said, we will always be positive for HCV antibodies, that doesn't mean we have active or chronic HCV, it means we used to. That's the test blood banks use to screen blood. We can't donate blood except to ourselves. For now anyway.
SVR mean "Sustained Viral Response". Treatment reduces your viral load to a undetected level, <15iu/ml and it allows your immune system to sustain the viral response at that level. Again, they consider SVR 12/24 a cure and the chance you relapsed after that long is almost non existent, but the only way to find out is to confirm it. Do you know what your ALT and AST are? Following relapse they are usually elevated again. Retesting is the best way to answer your question. Good luck...
Here's a bit of an explanation. If I can help, let me know. There is always someone that will try and answer your questions.
https://www.hepmag.com/blog/hepatitis-c-treatment-svr
i did the original tx. Then I did boceprevir and it came back. And 2 years ago I finished harvoni wit's interferon and ribivrin. I've been undetected since and last test was undetected in March. I'm not high risk. I don't use drugs or any other high risk activities. Found out I was preg. Got a viral load test becauas obgyn docs look at you like you have six heads when you say you treated hep c and haven't had it in years. And it came back detected below 15ml per whatever. The doctor called and said your hep c levels were normal. What?? Wtf is normal. Is it detected or not? How would I have it again if you aren't supposed to relapse. How did I not have it multiple times and now it's detected. I'm so confused. We had a patient today on labor and delivery hcv positive undetecable rna and the Doctor said oh she's hep positive just has a low viral load so be careful. Is that a true statement. If the medications are to eradicate the virus so it cannot replicate from itself how the eff would anyone have a low viral load below 15ml. I'm getting so pissed off. Can we relapse or can we not. Can there just be a low amount of virus in our blood or is that ignorance. I am tired of all the debate. I just want to know what I am. and how I'm supposed to go about my life if I actually don't know what the eff I am. Sorry. end of rant.