Here's some food for thought for those like me with an analytic bent and who are interested in the thorny question of fibrosis progression and its causes.
My hepatic enzymes in serum (ALT & AST), which i take to be an important indication of current fibrosis creation, have been steadily increasing over the five years that I've been having blood analyses, reaching as high as 150 and 100, respectively, about a year ago. They've recently gone down again as low as the mid-30s (perhaps as a result of my alternative medicines regime: PPC, ALA, Siliphos, & Vit E).
Now, I have some other chronic infections (HSV [ouch!] and a persistent skin rash). I've noticed that as my hepatic enzymes have gone down, so has the HSV and the skin rash. This leads me to think that all three - the HCV, HSV, and the rash - are tied to the state of my immune system. Not rocket science, really, because it's just logical to me that this would be so.
A big question, then, is: How to keep the immune system functioning as well as possible? I'm no expert on this subject, but I remember that diet plays a part and so does emotional state. So I'm trying to control what I eat as far as possible (not easy here in Argentina where rib eye steak costs five dollars a pound), and trying to keep calm and not do disturbing things like reading about the world economic situation and dancing with girls in sneakers [grin].
I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience regarding their ALT & AST and their immune system as per other infections?
Any corroboration of this theory would be appreciated.
Mike