Very interesting study

[jboyhk]

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1728443

I don't remember this study being discussed and it isn't exactly new (2001).

It looks at the history of Irish Women who were infected with HCV in 1977 via contaminated anti-D immunglobin.

So interesting results are that the self clearance rate seems to be much higher than the 15-20% stated. Also 22 yrs later 47.1% of those who serocoverted didn't have HCV antibodies detected.


There are some also bizarre results such as there were less HCV positive women depressed and anxious than Negative!!

[jboyhk]

I can only comment from me personally. I have HepB (inactive carrier) and test postive for HCV antibodies but neg PCR . I have been feeling extremely fatigued the past 10 yrs but the dr's just say its me getting older. I doubt people in my age group feel as fatigued as I do.

The great thing about this study is that alot of factors were removed (all the people in the group were roughly same age and sex and similar lifestyle).

I am sure they will be doing a follow up study on the group since it is so unique.

[DoubleDose]

Or on reflection, maybe I should have responded to this under the heading of "A Not very interesting study", judging by the forum members' interest in the findings.  I personally thought the study was highly provocative, and raised interesting questions.  Still, thanks Jboyhk for the link and study.  I wonder if they have done many other surveys of very large groups of spontaneous clearers.  I have read of two others, I believe, both with similar 'odd' findings.  I have mentioned these studies in the past on the forum, usually with a thunderous silence for a reply!

DoubleDose

[DoubleDose]

I would also be interested in getting opinions from the forum members as to why this post-clearance pattern of physical and psychological problems seems to exist, in almost all studies done.  Whether they are surveying SVR's or spontaneous clearers, it seems that there is a very high percentage of people with long term problems, over decades of time!  Do we explain it by saying only that they 'knew they had once had an illness", as some of the doctors suggest???

I appreciate the input, as always!

[DoubleDose]

It is indeed a very interesting study.  I am not really surprised by the findings that the HCV negative / spontaneous clearing group had more problems with fatigue, anxiety, quality of life as compared to the HCV positive group.  They may, in many ways, be very similar to the SVR's in current times.  In otherwords, whatever happens when clearing the virus, either through self generated 'interferon'/ immune system responses, or using external interferon, seems to leave a variety of long term problems in many who become HCV negative.  Fatigue seems to be a big complaint of the SVR's , and I would expect that spontaneous clearers would have a similar profile.  In fact, studies done of those who have cleared spontaneously, have borne out this same result:  lots of fatigue, arthralgia, and psychological disturbances.

The other explanation might be that in both spontaneous clearers and SVR's there may be that lingering, persistent virus which is always being contained by the immune system, thus creating an ongoing set of bodily symptoms.  Or maybe this small amount of 'latent' virus itself causes infection in undetermined areas or compartments, like CNS, brain, etc. thus causing concurrant symptoms, yet the person appears to be HCV negative as a whole.  In other words, maybe HCV negative, as applied to SVR's and spontaneous clearers, means something different than 'never infected', or totally HCV-free.

It is encouraging that a percentage of the HCV negative group eventually lost the HCV antibodies, although they still seemed to be symptomatic.

I really don't buy the authors suggestion that this ongoing set of sympoms in the HCV negative women were due to their having found out that they once had HCV. Most doctors try to use this explanation for any and all HCV extrahepatic symptoms, and as we have seen, that is baloney, since a wide range of symptoms and other diseases have ultimately been determined to be caused directly by HCV infection.

This study sheds more light on the HCV clearance issue than anything else, but the study is rarely cited or discussed.  The findings are disturbing , I think, for SVR's, and spontaneous clearers.

DoubleDose