| Dwight 2005-07-03, 12:33 pm |
|
Barry wrote:
> I'll repeat what ironjustice said:
>
> "So since the .. mode of operation of interferon seems to be ..
> suppression of red blood cell production .. therefore .. decreased
> blood cell .. mass .. equivalent .. to .. bloodletting / venesection /
> phlebotomy .. ?"
>
> The abstract he posted also said that white blood cells were reduced,
> and it said "IFN-alpha based therapies are associated with a decrease
> in all three haematopoietic lineages." Sounds like maybe bloodletting
> does something similar.
>
> His response to "decreasing the number of red blood cells does not kill
> HCV" was a link to something that says "The authors concluded that long
> term maintenance of iron depletion by therapeutic phlebotomy prevents
> progression of fibrosis in CHC. They suggest that chronic iron
> reduction is a good alternative to interferon in treatment of CHC." Is
> that a bad response? I don't know because most replies to him are
> attacks with no useful information.
>
> I don't know much about any of this, but I don't think this group is
> intended only for those who are experts, and I'd appreciate some real
> rebuttals that might be of use to someone like me, or at least the
> absence of juvenile replies.
>
Barry, don't know which newsgroup you are associated with so this may
not reach you as I refuse to post to more than one group at a time if I
can help it. I'm giving you some of my own history since I'm no expert.
I have both Hemochromatosis and Hep-C. I was diagnosed with Cirrhosis
in 1992 when I had my first liver biopsy. Since 1992 I have been going
through phlebotomy treatments, except while going through tx for hep-c,
for the Hemochromatosis. I had a transjugular liver biopsy done
recently and was told that my liver was no worse than it was 13 years
ago. I honestly don't know if it was the phlebotomies, milk thistle,
hep-c tx's, stopping drinking, all of the above, or none of the above
which have helped my liver from getting worse. Don't know if this helps
or not, but thought I would add my .02 cents.
Dwight
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