My results from my HepB lab tests

[Agibaby]

Hi everyone, my name is Agnes and from Sierra Leone. First of all, I want thank you for approving my membership request. I came across this beautiful HepB community through my google search engine, when I was searching for Canada inadmissible disease or conditions. I went through so many posts and comments here and I immediately signed in to be a member. I felt connected when I saw people with the same condition as me and I felt so lucky to have found myself here.

I got diagnosed of HepB in June 2023, and my first results was as follow: HBsAg +, HBsAb- , HBcAb +, HBeAg -, and HBeAb +.

My liver function test for AST was 41.14, ALT was 29.75, serum Albumin/ Globulin was 1.24, Total Bilirubin 3.47, direct Bilirubin was 1.14, total bilirubin was 73.90, Alkaline phosphate 241.24, Serum Albumin was 40.98 and serum Globulin was 32.92. No DNA or HBsAg was done HepC and HIV were tests were done and it was nonreactive.

My Ultrasound result states: Average sized, with coarse granular echopattern, and minimal irregularity of the border and nodularity of the surface. No focal lesions, no intrahepatic biliary channels dilation or venous congestion. ( Diffuse hepatic pathology, early cirrhotic changes of the liver, for further evaluation.

After all these tests, I was placed on Tenofovir and Liveril supplement. After two weeks my liver function test was repeated and the results States: SGPT was 24 U/L, total bilirubin 1.1, direct Bilirubin was 0.20 and indirect Bilirubin was 0.9

Coagulation profile was also done and the results states: Patient time :12.5sec, control’s time:12 sec, concentration 92%, INR 1.06, Ratio 1.04.
APTT : patient time 32.4 sec, control time 35 sec.

My next appointment with my doctor is by the end of the month. Doctors and other health professionals in this forum, please help me Analys my results wether I am at risk of developing liver cancer and what other tests can I go through to better understand my condition.
Through all this, am also planning to study in Canada. What state should my results be with HepB to enable me to be medically admissible.

Am sorry for the long text and thank you for reading through.

[PuallyHBV]

Hi @AGNES,

Welcome to the community! Glad you made it here through your Google search. One of the experts will be with you as soon as they are able; to help translate your lab results. Have a look around the forums and you can do a specific word search with the magnifying glass on the top right of the website.

-Paul

[Agibaby]

Thank you so much @pually, and I look forward to hearing from them soon

[Opa]

This was my test a month back

Processing: 20230908_235820.jpg…

And this is a test I took today

Any advise would be of great help. Thanks dear family

[john.tavis]

Dear @Agibaby ,

Welcome to the Community. I’m glad you found it. I am a senior HBV scientist, not a physician, so I cannot give direct medical advice, but your case is clear enough that I can answer. You appear to have an HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection and had modest liver disease prior to starting tenofovir. Your labs appear to be normalizing with tenofovir treatment, which is good news.

As to your question about liver cancer: HBeAg negative chronic HBV infections do carry a higher risk of developing liver cancer than the general, uninfected population. I don’t know the specific risk level, but the clinicians on the community can clarify. However, HBeAg negative infections usually have milder disease and lower cancer risk than HBeAg+ infections. So that is good news for you. Also, you are on tenofovir, and that further reduces cancer risk (3-4 fold in most studies I’ve seen). Also good news for you.

I cannot comment on other tests to do other than it might be a good idea to get a quantitative HBV DNA test done. That will give you and your caregivers a good idea of how well tenofovir is suppressing your infection.

I wish you the very best.

John

[Agibaby]

Hello @john.tavis, thank you so much , I appreciate you reponse. Am going to do the quantitative HBV DNA test during my next appointment with my doctor.

I will like to know the level at which my HBV DNA should be to qualify for medical admissibility in Canada or Australia for studies .

Thanks
Agnes

[ThomasTu]

Hi @Agibaby,

As mentioned in other threads, having hep B per se shouldn’t affect your study visa for Australia or Canada, but there is a medical cost threshold that you have to meet for permanent residency.

Thomas

[Agibaby]

Thank you @ThomasTu. I actually read about the threshold

My fear is Tenofovir will likely put me above the threshold. Should I discuss this with my Doc. so he can change it to Ectavir which is below the threshold?

[ThomasTu]

Dear @Agibaby,

Great question! This is some information for clinicians treating those with Hepatitis B and applying for permanent residency (https://ashm.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Hepatitis-B-and-Immigration-v2.pdf):

information regarding the impact of treatment including how the applicant’s ability to work will be influenced by them being on medication, and how this will influence the likelihood of developing liver diseases. From 1 October 2019 the CHOICE of medication, if required, will be an essential factor to be considered. […] Thus, from 1 October 2019 the clinician choice of appropriate antiviral medication will have a critical impact on the migration visa outcomes for their CHB patients. There will always be overriding clinical considerations affecting choice of prescribed medication, but the implications for prescription of either entecavir or tenofovir for visa applicants are now a factor that needs to be appreciated.

My understanding of this is that if there is little harm in being prescribed entecavir vs. tenofovir and it will help you pass the threshold, then you should consider it.

Thomas

[Agibaby]

Thank you so much @ThomasTu , I really appreciate the article you sent. I most say it’s definitely gave some relief concerning my immigration affairs.