I hope I am on the way to treating!

[truredhead]

The nurse from my doctors office just called and said they needed a blood test done for the hep c meds. She did not tell me much just that they have to have it to get the meds. I thought she was not doing enough because she told me to come back in 6 months at my last appt, a month or so ago. I told her I wanted to treat now and she said we will start getting it together. How long does it usually take? I had already taken a AFP marker test, viral load test, and liver panel. My VL was 12 million.

[goater]

Our posts overlapped.   Good info you sent.
Marty

[goater]

Are you GT1a?  If you're planning to treat with Olysio as one of the meds maybe your doctor, or insurance company, is wanting to test for Q80k polymorphism.   I've never tested for poly so not sure of test turnaround time.  My guess would be about the time it takes for a PCR.  

I'd ask my doctor/nurse to be more specific.

Best wishes,
Marty

[truredhead]

I found out the blood test I took this morning was a RNA NS3 test, If I read it right it is a test to find out the predictors of the DAA's,  this is what I found out about it so I am hoping I am getting closer to getting to treat!

Question 1. What are hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protease Inhibitors?
NS3 protease inhibitors are antiviral drugs. They are classified as direct acting agents (DAAs) and work by inhibiting the HCV NS3a protease.1-3 Clinical studies have shown that when NS3 protease inhibitors are combined with standard pegylated interferon (PEG) and ribavirin, a significantly higher proportion of patients achieve a sustained virologic response (SVR).1-3

Question 2. Which NS3 protease inhibitors are approved for clinical use?
Boceprevir (Victrelis®) and telaprevir (Incivek®)  were approved by the FDA in 2011 for the treatment of HCV genotype 1 patients.4,5 The newest protease inhibitor, simeprevir (Olysio™), was approved by the FDA in November 2013 for the same patient group.6 All three DAAs are intended for use as a component of a combination antiviral treatment regimen. Additional NS3 protease inhibitors are currently undergoing clinical trials.

Question 3. What methods are available to test for HCV NS3 protease inhibitor resistance?
A genotypic assay that uses reverse transcription of HCV RNA, followed by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing of the NS3 gene, can detect mutations associated with NS3 protease inhibitor resistance. Such mutations include the R155K mutation in HCV genotype 1a and the A156S mutation in HCV genotype 1b. These and other mutations result in resistance to some or all NS3 protease inhibitors.7,8

Question 4. What is the Q80K polymorphism?
The Q80K polymorphism is a naturally occurring amino acid substitution of glutamine to lysine at NS3 codon 80. It is found in 30% to 50% of HCV genotype 1a infected patients and in 0.5% of genotype 1b patients.6 Clinical studies have shown that when subjects with HCV genotype 1a have this polymorphism at baseline, the efficacy of simeprevir in combination with PEG and ribavirin is substantially reduced.6 Consequently, alternative therapy should be considered for such patients.6

Question 5. Is NS3 genotype testing required before prescribing an NS3 protease inhibitor-containing antiviral regimen?
NS3 genotype testing is strongly recommended for patients with HCV genotype 1a infection before prescribing simeprevir.6,9 Alternative therapy should be considered for the patient when genotype testing reveals presence of the Q80K polymorphism.6,9

Question 6. How are HCV NS3 genotype test results reported?
The HCV subtype (1a or 1b) and predicted resistance to boceprevir, telaprevir and simeprevir are reported. The mutations detected, including the Q80K polymorphism, are also reported.