Thanks ThomasTu, Chul Chan, and anonml for all of the helpful insights. It helps ease my mind a little bit. I will wait for the next test and get to know more about my condition next time I see my primary care doctor.
Thanks,
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Hi Thomas,
Thank you for the response!! I greatly appreciate it!! But i have some difficulty understanding the first part, my gf & i are both not health care workers. I read online that saliva also contains HBV DNA & since my gf has an open wound (from getting her wisdom tooth removed), im very worried that my saliva may have infected her through that.
Just want to check if you are aware if there are any reported case of transmission by deep kissing, if yes, what are the chances? Yes we are currently waiting for her results if shes clear she plans on getting vaccinated.
I certainly hope it is due to seroconversion. Thank you for the input!!
What happens if someone clears hbv, does his viral load read 0 (zero) or still figures remain high?
@availlant Just an update to my last post. After seeing my doctor in December and being referred to an Infectious Disease specialist for further testing, I was scheduled for another test in April for HBsAg, as I had no serological markers indicating a old or current infection. I recently had a follow up to the HBsAg test and the results came back negative. The specialist ruled my first HBsAg test a false positive but for a final confirmation has ordered for me to get a complete panel again. Other than laboratory Error what can cause someone to get a false positive test? Can getting vaccinations before a blood test trigger a false positive also? As I had gotten the HPV vaccine as well as a Tetanus booster shot a day before getting my bloods drawn. This whole ordeal has opened my eyes to my career path as I am about to pursue a graduate degree in Medical Technology but I am also now interested in getting into creating vaccines to possibly find a cure for Diseases such as this one. I have a Bachelors degree in Biochemistry, What program can I complete to get into creating vaccines? Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated!
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Hallo guys, I wanted to ask you something about viral load and cancer development. The last tests showed that my viral load is relatively low ( around 2000), and the fibroscan and ultrasound that I did little after that showed that at the moment my liver is absolutely fine, no scars whatsoever. My question is, if my viral low stays low does that mean that I am safe from developing fibrosis and subsequently liver cancer? Or even with low viral load, the hep b can still do damage to the liver. By the way, after the first shock of the diagnosis I have calmed down a lot, I believe that I have adopted a very healthy lifestyle (no bad foods, going back to the gym 5 times a week, no alcohol) and I hope that this will keep me safe for a long time.
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Hi @Javer,
Great question. Your thinking is correct; the whole idea is to get these numbers down such as viral load etc and the lower they are consistently the lower the chances of severe liver problems such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. But remember, none of this can be 100% guaranteed. As long as one has this virus, there is always a chance. We hope to decrease/lower our chances hence being treated. I hope this helps. Bansah1
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Hi @sgeanguy,
I mention this because there can be exposures and fluid exchange when doing surgery or other invasive procedures. This data shows that when the doctor’s levels are below 20000, there’s no measurable risk of transmission in this context. The amount of fluid transfer in these instances are likely on par with or more than the amount that takes place with the activity that you’re describing. It’s just a way of contextualising the risk.
Regarding saliva, while HBV DNA can be detected, I am not aware of the actual amount of infectious virus that is in the saliva. In any case, the risk of transmission is relatively low in this instance.
When someone clear HBV (becomes HBsAg-negative), is most instances the viral load becomes undetectable.
Dear @Mimi19, that’s great news! Indeed, vaccinations (which contain HBsAg) can cause false positives in HBsAg tests, so this may be the reason behind the results.
I would say the best way is to see if any scientists in your university are working on vaccines against conditions that you would be interested in and ask to do an internship or honours year. That’s probably the best way to experience whether this line of work is right for you.
Hi @Javer, yes, I would generally agree with @Bansah1: the better your liver looks and the lower your viral load is over time, the more stable your condition is and the risk of liver disease progression is quite low. However, things can indeed change (we don’t exactly know what drives these changes) so keeping your blood tests going and monitoring your status is the best way to be sure that everything remains OK.
Hope this helps,
Thomas
Hi Thomas,
Thank you for the clarification!! It has really help put my mind at ease. My girlfriend’s result came out negative thankfully.
As for myself, i would like some further clarification on my recent results. Please refer to the attached image. Does this mean i have cleared the infection? I did not do a 2nd HBV viral load test as per my liver specialist recommendation. If i have cleared it, I was wondering,although my HBsAg is negative, if there is a possiblity that i might still have infectious HBV virus in my blood that might still be transmittable?
Hi @sgeanguy,
Thomas will respond to you soon. Looking at your results, it shows you don’t have HBV and you have developed protection or immunity against it. This means you have cleared HBV if you were exposed or infected prior. This is good news. Thanks, Bansah1.
Hi @sgeanguy,
These results are consistent with someone who has cleared HBV infection (Negative HBsAg, positive antibodies for HBs, and antibodies against HBe and HBc). Congratulations!
The risk that you have infectious virus in your blood is negligible. Particularly with HBs antibodies at such a high level - even if there were a small amount of virus it would be neutralised straight away and is therefore not trasmittable.
Hope this helps,
Thomas
Dear ryan
I hope this msg finds u well
May i ask how old were you when u believed u were exposed to hepatitis b ?
Hey Everyone
Hey @ThomasTu ,
I have recently been diagnosed with Hep B (5 days ago) I was never on antivirals nor do I know how long I have been with HBV
My reports suggested
HBsAg Positive
Viral Load of 429 IU/ML
I dont know why my doc didnt ask me to do ALT test but I did a LFT and my Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) is 366 which I suppose is more then normal range 360
I dont have any other info like hbeab cuz that was not given in my report
I dont know if its acute or chronic and I am really scared and cant stop myself from spiraling into depression
What is the possibilty I am in acute phase and not a chronic carrier?
Hi @void,
Thanks for your question. It is hard to say based on your test result. You need IgM anti-HBc test and if it is positive then it is an acute infection. Also you need IgG anti-HBc test and if it is positive then you have a chronic infection. It is impossible to say based on HBV viral load and HBsAg. Please take it easy. Best, Bansah1
Hi @void,
Sorry to hear about your experiences and stress. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Regarding whether it is acute or chronic, the most accurate way to tell is to test again in 6 months to see if you are still HBsAg positive.
Regarding the test you have so far, having such low viral load and normal ALTs (which should be in an LFT panel - perhaps it is written as SGPT) is associated with good prognosis and limited disease progression.
Hope this helps,
Thomas
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