The disease can be transmitted from a mother to her child, but that has a rather slim chance of happening. Heterosexuals rarely contract hepatitis C through sexual contact, but some evidence has surfaced that indicates homosexual men with HIV can be infected if a sex partner has the disease. Drug users who share needles run a great risk of catching the disease, as well.

Hepatitis C has been found in hemophiliacs and other people who have had blood transfusions or medical procedures with blood products that were produced prior to 1991, when blood donors were universally screened.

Although it does make a difference how a person contracts Hepatitis C, once diagnosed, the goal is to diminish the effects of the disease through proper medical treatment and by adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Anyone with an HIV infection can contract hepatitis C because of their immune system’s general vulnerability. However, lesser known ways of transmittal of the virus include the sharing of needles. Drug users tend to share needles when they inject drugs, so if one person has hepatitis C, then anyone sharing that particular needle will contract the virus as well. Even cocaine users can transmit the virus if there is blood on the object used to snort the drug being used by a hepatitis C carrier.

The threat of contracting hepatitis C through blood transfusions has significantly lowered since 1990, when all donated blood began being tested for the virus; however, there remains a small chance of contraction.

Hepatitis C treatment is available for those who have contracted the virus. It is important to seek help from a healthcare professional or clinical research facility to get the hepatitis C treatment that can help ease any symptoms and treat the virus.

When you get back the result of your Hepatitis C RNA quantitative test, and when the lab was able to determine the amount of virus in your blood, then it is important to write down not only the number, but also in what units this number is given.

I) Volume

The volume of blood, that the number refers to, is usually one milliliter.

But some labs give the number for 20 microliters = 1/50 milliliter. So in these cases you have to multiply the result of the viral load by 50 to get the number for 1 milliliter.

II) Amount of Virus

Unfortunately, there are several ways to express the viral load. So, in order to be able to compare different results, you have to know how to convert these numbers to some standard format, which let’s say is just the plain number of viruses per milliliter, like 1.5 Million/ml, or 1,500,000/ml. (both of these numbers are the same).

a) Measure by weight

Sometimes, the lab reports the amount of genetic material found by its weight. 1 pg (pico-gram) of genetic material corresponds to about 1 million virus equivalents, so, if your lab result is given in picograms, just multiply the lab result by 1,000,000, and you have the number of viruses.

b) Measure by virus count

i) Plain numbers

Often the virus count is expressed as a plain number, like 1.73 million, or 1,730,000 or 1730000. Millions sometime are abbreviated by the prefix “M” (Mega). So when you see 1.73 Meq/ml, it means 1.73 Mega-equivalents/ml or again 1730000 equivalents/ml..

ii) Exponential format

Large numbers are often expressed in exponential form, that means a number, multiplied by 10 with an exponent. To convert this to normal numbers, append as many zeroes to a “1″ as the exponent says, and multiply this with the number. In some lab report, the viral load was “Hep C RNA Quant 17.3 x 10(exp) 5 equivalents/ml”. So, with 5 as exponent, you have to append 5 zeroes to a “1″, that gives 100000, and multiply this with the number 17.3, that gives 1730000 as the viral load. Normally this would be written 1.73×10(exp)6, or 1.73×106 , (which are again the same number).

17.3×105 = 1.73×106 = 1,730,000

iii) Logarthmic format

Now, recently some people express these numbers also in logarithmic form (logarithmic transformed number).

log(1730000)=6.24

6.24 is the logarithmic transformed number of the viral load of our above example. A result of 3.5 for a viral load, that someone reported, seems to be such a number (unless he forgot to write down a “10″ and an exponent). You need a calculator to convert this. You have to use the function 10x , where you have to replace x with the logarithmic number, in the above case 3.5. The result would be: 103.5 = 3162 virus equivalents per milliliter.

When you take the logarithmic number from the first example, 6.24, you have to calculate 106.24 = 1730000 , and here we have the original number of virus equivalents again. If you don’t have a calculator, you can estimate the order of magnitude of a viral load expressed as a logarithmic number. From the logarithmic number, you take the first digit (left of the point) and add 1 to this number. This gives you the number of digits that your viral load has (expressed as a plain number).

Example: Logarithmic number 6.24

Left of the point is “6″. 6+1 = 7

The number that gives the viral load is 7 digits long, that means it is between 1,000,000 and 9,999,999 (digit # 1 234 567)

The next digit (right of the point of the logarithmic number) shows whether you are high or low in the range.

In case you have a logarithmic number *and* a blood volume other than 1 ml, you have to convert the logarithmic number to a plain number *first*, and then correct it to correspond to 1 ml !

Therefore it is important to have a close look at your lab report and see in what units the result is given!

There is still no general agreement on what Viral Load is considered low and what is high in Hepatitis C. This interpretation makes sense for people not currently being treated – for someone who is 6 months into an INF + RIBA trial, even 200,000 could be considered a high titer.

(Numbers are Virus Equivalents per Milliliter)

below 200,000 very low (undetectable by *bDNA* test)

200,000 to 1,000,000 low

1,000,000 to 5,000,000 medium

5,000,000 to 25,000,000 high

above 25,000,000 very high

Once again, please note that this information is not written by an MD or medical expert. Nothing can (or should) take the place of appropriate medical care.

Avail Clinical Research is currently conducting several clinical studies based on certain conditions. If you are eligible to participate in one of our clinical trials, you may contribute to the development and approval of a new drug or treatment that will ease your condition. There is never any cost involved for you, only your valuable time is needed. Browse the clinical trials currently being conducted by Avail and find the one best suited for you.

Your viral load is the amount of specific viruses that you have, in a given volume of your blood (usually 1 milliliter = 1 cubic centimeter). More precisely, it means that the amount of Hep C genetic material found in your blood corresponds to as many Hepatitis C viruses as the given number says. Therefore the given number denotes “viral equivalents.”

There appears to be no significant correlation between HCV RNA levels and ALT values or histological activity in patients untreated by anti-viral therapies (Interferon). Viral load varies between infected individuals but is not a useful prognostic indicator nor does it measure the severity of virus-induced liver disease.

WHAT DOES NEGATIVE OR “NOT DETECTED” MEAN?

The viral load can range from “not detected” to hundreds of millions. The meaning of “not detected” or “negative” differs, depending on the test used. In one lab, the detection limit for the *quantitative* HCV RNA test by *PCR* is 200 virus equivalents/ml (and with the *qualitative* test they can detect down to 10 virus equivalents/ml). The less expensive quantitative *bDNA* test has a detection limit of about 200,000 virus equivalents/ml. So it is less sensitive, but above its detection limit it is more accurate than the PCR test.

So, when you are “negative”, maybe you have no Hepatitis C virus in your blood. But maybe also, you do have Hepatitis C virus in your blood, but the number of viruses is lower than the detection limit. {Example: If the less expensive quantitative *bDNA* has been used, and the detection limit is 200,000 virus equivalents/ml, any number less than this would register as “negative” or “not detected”, when in fact, the viral load could be present, but less than this detection limit.} Your lab can tell you which testing measure is used, and your doctor can explain what it means in your case.

Avail Clinical Research is currently conducting several clinical studies based on certain conditions. If you are eligible to participate in one of our clinical trials, you may contribute to the development and approval of a new drug or treatment that will ease your condition. There is never any cost involved for you, only your valuable time is needed. Browse the clinical trials currently being conducted by Avail and find the one best suited for you.

Avail is constantly conducting trials in HCV research that may be right for you or for someone you know. Don’t miss out on a possible treatment because your doctor isn’t aware of a study being conducted in your area. Qualifying participants are always fully compensated for time and travel, and the study related care, including physical examinations, laboratory services and study medicines are all provided as well. If you or a loved one has been in constant pain and either think you have HCV or have been officially diagnosed with the disease, one of Avail’s HCV research studies might be helpful for you. Health insurance is not needed to participate in these trials and you could be at the forefront of developing a new medication to alleviate not only your pain and discomfort, but anyone else with HCV as well.

Avail Clinical Research is currently conducting several clinical studies based on certain conditions. If you are eligible to participate in one of our clinical trials, you may contribute to the development and approval of a new drug or treatment that will ease your condition. There is never any cost involved for you, only your valuable time is needed. Browse the clinical trials currently being conducted by Avail and find the one best suited for you.

The hepatitis C virus is spread by blood-to-blood contact. Most people have few, if any symptoms after the initial infection, yet HCV persists in the liver in about 85% of those infected. Persistent infection can be treated with medication, peginterferon and ribavirin being the standard therapy. In serious cases, those who develop cirrhosis or liver cancer may require a liver transplant, and the virus universally recurs after transplantation. No vaccine against hepatitis C is currently available and it is one of five known hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D, and E.

Though there is no cure, several different treatments are available for HCV and medical research and Hepatitis C Trials are constantly being conducted to develop the best treatments and medications for the infection. Avail Clinical Research is constantly conducting trials in HCV research that may be right for you or someone you know. Don’t miss out on a possible treatment because your doctor isn’t aware of it yet. Participants are always fully compensated for time and travel, and the study related care, including physical examinations, laboratory services and study medicines are all provided.

Work with Avail to help develop new medications and treatments that are safe and effective in alleviating the Hepatitis C Virus.

If it is determined that you do need treatment, there are several different options. You may be prescribed an antiviral medication to clear the virus from your body. These treatments are called alpha interferon and the optimal regimen is a 24-48 week course of the combination of pegylated alpha interferon and ribavirin. Alpha interferon is a host protein that is made in response to viral infections and has natural antiviral activity. Other forms of alpha interferon have been produced, and several formulations (alfa-2a, alfa-2b, consensus interferon) are available as therapy for hepatitis C. Once the alpha interferon treatments are completed, your doctor will test your blood for HCV. If it is still present in your blood, you may be prescribed a second round of treatment.

In more serious cases where the liver has been severely damaged, a liver transplant may be necessary. During the transplant, a surgeon removes the damaged liver and replaces it with a healthy one. Unfortunately, for people with hepatitis C infection, a liver transplant is not a cure. The antiviral medication treatment usually continues after the transplant because HCV is likely to recur.

Vaccinations are also highly recommended to protect against other forms of viral hepatitis. Your doctor will likely prescribe vaccines against the hepatitis A and B viruses as well. These are separate viruses that can also cause liver damage and complicate your hepatitis C treatment.

The treatment can also cause an array of mouth and stomach-related problems. These include dryness, indigestion and difficulty swallowing food. Other Hepatitis C treatment side effects include skin rashes, hair loss and injection side reaction. In extreme cases, patients may also feel shortness of breath and chest pain, along with visions and thyroid problems. If any of these symptoms occur during Hepatitis C treatment, you must contact your physician immediately.

While some of these side effects are common, others require immediate medical attention. Another important aspect of Hepatitis C treatment is blood tests. Health care providers will monitor blood test results every one to two months. This is performed with Interferon and Ribavirin in order to ensure safe blood levels while medicine is being given. It also enables providers to determine how well your treatments are going.

Treatment for Hepatitis C is essential as soon as diagnosis is confirmed, and the good news is that full remission is possible. Hepatitis C treatment is essential to prevent onset of liver disease and cancer, and studies continue to develop ever more effective means of counteracting the effects of the Hepatitis C virus. Newer Hepatitis C treatment modalities include developing a means to study the lifecycle of the virus outside of its human host. This bodes well for even more effective treatments to prevent liver disease and cancer, as well as eventual development of a vaccine to block the virus itself.

During the Hepatitis C trials, 42 volunteers unaffected by Hepatitis C were administered a single dose of the drug or a placebo. Thus far, INX-189 has proven to be safe and tolerated well in varying concentrations, from 3 to 100 mg. The only side effects that more than one subject suffered included headaches and nasal congestion.

The drug is well on its way to being approved for treatment of Hepatitis C. Up until the present day, 170 million Hepatitis C patients worldwide were being treated with injections of ribavirin and interferon. These drugs have very undesirable side effects, causing many patients to stop receiving treatment prematurely.

The first Hepatitis C trials of INX-89 led researchers to believe it has the potential to be more effective against the ailment than the current method of treatment, work more quickly, and have fewer side effects. INX-89 would be administered in a low daily dose that would take the place of an injection. Researchers maintain high hopes for the next impending trial phase.