Glossary of terms
This is a glossary of terms used on the website which you may
not know the meaning of.
Hepatitis C RNA:
Hepatitis C RNA (ribonucleic acid) is the genetic material
of the virus. The amount of this material determines your viral
load.
Baseline Viral Load: Amount of Hepatitis C
virus (RNA) in the blood before treatment starts. High baseline
viral load means that the virus is reproducing rapidly and may mean
that viral cure or SVR is less likely.
Early Viral Response
(EVR): HCV RNA not detectable at week 12 of treatment. Not
reaching EVR predicts a low likelihood of achieving viral cure or
SVR
Rapid Viral Response
(RVR): Hepatitis C RNA is not detectable in the blood at
week 4 of treatment. This predicts a high likelihood of achieving
viral cure or SVR.
End of Treatment Response (ETR): Hepatitis C
RNA not detectable in the blood at the end of treatment.
HCV RNA is not
detectable in the blood at week 4 of
treatment1
; predicts a
high likelihood of achieving viral
cure/SVR.7
Sustained Viral Response
(SVR): Hepatitis C virus not detectable in the blood 6
months after treatment ends.
Response Guided Therapy
(RGT): Response guided therapy is a model of
Hepatitis C treatment where decisions on treatment are guided by
how quickly the virus responds to treatment. For example if a
patient achieves RVR they are eligible for a shorter duration of
treatment.
Relapse:
After dropping to undetectable levels, Hepatitis C virus is
detected again in blood after treatment ends.
ALT (Alanine
aminotransferase) Levels: ALT is an enzyme found in
various body tissues, but most commonly associated with the liver.
Typically a female should have ALT levels of equal to or less than
34 units per litre and men should have equal to or less than 45
units per litre. Higher levels than these suggest the existence of
other medical problems such as hepatitis or diabetes.
Weight based ribavirin
dosage: Dosages of ribavirin tailored to a patient's
weight for best possible effectiveness.
Genetic
factors: Everybody has a unique genetic make up. There are
various genetic factors that may predict how likely you are to
clear Hepatitis C. An important example which you may hear your
healthcare professional discuss is your Il28B gene. These gentic
factors can also help inform which treatment you may undergo for
Hepatitis C and how long you may need to stay on treatment.
IL28B gene: This
is a gene which we all have in our DNA. There are 3 genotypes of
IL28B called CC, CT and TT. People with the CC genotype have a
stronger immune response to Hepatitis C and are more likely to
clear the virus naturally. Before starting treatment you get tested
to find out which IL28B gene you have.
Shared
Equipment: For injecting drug use this includes, spoons,
filters, water, syringes, needles, table surfaces, foil. Also do
not share pipes used to smoke crack cocaine, bank notes for
snorting drugs. Hepatitis C can survive for weeks outside the body
even in tiny specs of blood, so be blood aware when preparing
drugs. Where possible, clean the area used for preparing drugs
following practice around cleaning blood spills.