Anyone Got A "Typical" Viral Load Drop Graph?

[RobertBeWell]

I sat down with the research doctor today at my study visit, because I wanted to discuss with him his feelings on whether or not I should continue on. Though he couldn't come right out and say it, he absolutely didn't disagree when I told him that based on my results, I was not getting the study drug.

Anyhow... he told me that as time goes on, and the viral load drops, the remaining virus are "harder" to kill, because they are "tougher". In other words, in patients that respond to treatment, they usually expect to see large viral drops initially, followed by progressively smaller and smaller drops until UND.

I was a bit skeptical, but I didn't let on because I didn't want to insult the man, as he's pretty respected in his field as a researcher.

How can one virion be any harder to kill than another.

Anyone got a link to a graph of a "typical" viral load drop in a "good response" scenario?

Thanks

RBW

[Bali05]

I like what my renowned Hepatologist had to say.
After all the trials and tribulations I had pre tx ect.. then when I finally got my first UND
I asked him , so what exactly is happening in my body now with this virus that
we can not find any more ?

His answer was  "we simply do not know."

[Proactive]

to the orginal question
"Anyone got a link to a graph of a "typical" viral load drop in a "good response" scenario?"
http://www.comparative-hepatology.com/content/4/1/9/figure/F1

[Trinity4]

And I'll repeat you're wrong -  the virons do mutate and learn how to avoid the onslaught of the immune system because they have changed what the immune systems recognized as an intruder. Do you see stronger in my reply?  Do you see ineffective to SOC?  Please provide data that verifies "They do NOT mutate in general aside from PI'.s".

[spectda]

"I think this is what your dream was about - you're   cruising along blasting away holdover virions (and Trish was just bystander collateral damage)."

I think willing nailed your dream robert, haha. Be careful trish!


"keep those battleship guns blazing!"  My new theme for completing treatment,

[Trish77]

"I think in a nutshell as the immune system attacks the virus mutates and that's how it survives.  Even with the initial shock and awe approach from treatment they're tricky little b-a-s-tards and become more resilient, hence harder to kill.   "

"Did not say resistant -  said "resilient"  Mutation DOES cause resistance

Basically said the same thing MB did only short form don't ya think? "

What you said was that the virus mutates as the immune system attacks and that they become more resilient.  

I'll repeat - in general, this is patently untrue.  Some virons are simply tougher than others, need different weapons, etc.  They do NOT mutate in general aside from PI'.s  As a general rule of thumb, they do NOT become more "resilient" either which means they become more resistant.  This does NOT happen due to treatment with interferon and ribavirin.  That they become more resilient is incorrect. Some virons simply ARE more resilient...or rather respond differently to various elements.

Virons do not become stronger as a result of interferon and ribavirin causing them to flex their muscle and therefore become more "resilient" as you put it.  They are what they are and some require different weapons to fight them - hence why we might introduce Alinia, Vitamin D or whatever we can think of that might add some extra killing power since interferon and ribavirin can be insufficient on their own, which is why we're not seeing 100% SVR rates from using them.

Willing's post explains this and sums it up rather well.  

[Proactive]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2720526/

http://www.comparative-hepatology.com/content/4/1/9