Hepatitis C Outreach Project has added a number of interesting articles on the articles page.

Among the topics, are:

mother to child transmission

peripheral neuropathy

ribavirin levels in the blood

prevalence rates in adolescents in custody

relapse rates are higher using new technology

to read the articles, go to favorite links, then click on refernce articles at the bottom of that page

thanbey
www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)

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www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)
preapproved by moderator1

Also added"

Does High Body Mass Index Affect Hepatic Fibrosis, Steatosis and Inflammation in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C?

Spontaneous viral clearance in patients with acute hepatitis C can be predicted by repeated measurements of serum viral load

Screening for antibodies alone does not exclude infection with hepatitis C virus

Ribavirin quantification in combination treatment of chronic hepatitis C

Highly sensitive hepatitis C virus RNA detection methods: molecular backgrounds and clinical significance (relapse during follow-up is observed)

Presence of multiple genotype-specific antibodies in patients with persistent infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) of a single genotype: evidence for transient or occult superinfection with HCV of different genotypes


thanbey
www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)

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www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)
preapproved by moderator1

Thanbey, Those articles sound great, could you please be more specific about the URLs? I've been unable to find articles you've mentioned previously.

Thanks,
tina

Hi T--

very intersting about body mass and fibrosis--confirmation of what seems to be a general caution that overweight is not good for us with hep c. good news in the sense that we can control this to some extent.

less happy for me, I see the article there on fibrosis progression confirms that after age 40, fibrosis tends to worsen, and effectiveness of ifn treatment lessens. a bit depressing, since this is less under our control than weight!

it does suggest that older types like me should be careful about monitoring fibrosis. maybe a biopsy every two years instead of every three or more? (going by symptoms is impossible, we know, but the only symptom I really have--exhaustion--does seem to get worse with the passing of time. Hmmmm.....)

still one more interesting article is the one finding a link between ribavarin and bone loss. so, older heppers and women especially might be interested in whether the newer PEGs can be taken without the riba, with still a decent chance of viral clearance. for types 2 and 3, especially.

Hey Old B.--its a bit confusing, 'cause hcop has the articles arranged in a discussion forum layout, but you should be able to find the articles following thanbey's directions.

hope so, anyway.

Thanks again thanbey, for the new food for thought.


sean

Hi Old Bag (hate to refer to someone this way...lol)

Here are the directions. I ralize it may be a little hard to follow, but persist, everything is all there. Remember, there are three pages.

Go to www.hcop.or, (http://www.hcop.or,) click on favorite links, at the bottom of the favorite links, click on reference articles and bibliography (one title)

Then, start reading. I have done my best to group topics, but there are articles outside the groupings, s read through and see what interests you.

There are also Frequently Asked Questions that is accessible from the homepage.

I hope this helps,

thanbey


Sean,

Remember that statistics group people of varying habits and histories. I would venture to say that this is significant, but being closely monitored really is the best course.

I hope you are well. Happy New Year to you and your bride!

th

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www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)
preapproved by moderator1

Thanks,
I didn't notice the numbers at the top of the articles page the first few times, so finally had a chance to scroll through the articles. So much information... esp good to know about the ibuprofen.

It's great to find this board, I've signed up for several others, but they seem a little more support oriented and less medical. Right now, I'm mainly looking for as much information as I can find, since a recent positive test. Awaiting biopsy results this week.......

Please call me Tina (the anxious old bag)

Dear Tina,

Did you notice where HCOP is located?

I am in North Portland!



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www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)
preapproved by moderator1

Howdy-
T- Interesting stuff on Ribavirin, also interesting read on back pain related to Ribavirin, and a welcome to Tina with the unique name,
Be well +

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--Get Outdoors-Enjoy Life----Neil

Real,

Thanks for the thoughtful words. In reply, firstly, my number one concern is not passing this on to someone else. There are still some unknowns about its transmission, and I simply don't want to take the risk, esp with my job. And the sex thing is a whole other issue for those of us that are single. Number two, there are alot of reasons NOT to have hcv, and I don't think the book has been finished yet on that subject. Kidney problems, a rash of skin conditions (ouch), blood problems, liver problems, yada yada, and I suspect the medical community will continue to discover new conditions that have been caused or aggravated by hcv, in the coming years that it will take to conduct these studies.

I ain't no spring chicken (50), but my enzymes counts were within normal range, and my viral count was under 400,000 when tested. Up till 5 years ago, I was in excellent shape, working out and was very active in many aerobic activities, but life got busy and I slowed down a bit and gained a few pounds, but am healthy otherwise. If it weren't for the persistant ache in my side and some relatively minor fatigue complaints, I wouldn't have suspected any problems.

So, anyway, what I'm getting at is that, being reasonably healthy with no history of depression, (or suicidal tendencies or paranoia), diabetes, thyroid problems, etc, trying out the peg combo is a risk I'm willing to take. I know it's expensive, (I don't have prescription coverage), I might have to take time off, my blood could get out of whack or my hair could even fall out. But, the other side of that coin is that there are some people that get through it successfully, actually tolerating the side effects fairly well. It's possible that they don't write and complain on the web boards as much..... ;-) But, heck, with a free 12 week trial of the Pegasys, I could have at least tried it out to see what happened, if my doc hadn't dropped the ball on that deal.

Maybe I'm too impatient in trying to fix this thing, but I honestly don't want it, and if there's something I can do to get rid of it, I'll try it. I want to live a long life, without worrying about some time bomb ticking in my liver. (ok- lousy metaphor, but you get my drift.....)

Another subject: in last Friday's New York Times, front page of the business section, there was an article about how the FDA is dragging their feet on approving a generic version of Rebetol. The going price is $10 a capsule, and from what I understand, 6 capsules a day is an average prescribed amount. But, there is a pharmacy in Pittsburg, PA called Fisher's SPS (removed) that is making and selling the generic version, rebavirin, for $1.50 a capsule, (that's 15%!!). I called them on Saturday, and it would be as simple as having your doc call in your prescription to them, and they'd send you as much as you need. Does everyone know about this??

Anyway, good evening to you all,
tina

[Hi Tina, please read and follow the board posting guidelines.
Do not post telephone numbers on the message boards. Thank you! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif]

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 01-07-2003).]