JCV - status and age...

[Tomjadg]

57 and just tested positive before my 5th infusion.

[Myoak]

57 and just tested positive before my 5th infusion.

It will be extremely important to establish how many start out neg and turn JCV+ on tysabri. The only study I can find addressing the issue can be found at www.medpagetoday.com titled "JC Virus Activation Called Common with Natalizumab"

I quote from it ..."Among 19 consecutive patients treated with nataizumab for 18 months, the prevalence of JC virus in urine samples increased from 19% at baseline to 63% after one year". End quote. From other studies it appears that JCV is present but latent in 53-80% (depending on the study) of the population. From the study I quoted in this post it appears tysabri allows JCV to become active. Thus, the shedding of JC virus in urine.


For those JCV neg ... FANTASTIC! I may be wrong but I don't think anyone JCV- has ever developed PML, but don't quote me on that.

For those JCV+ we now must ask ... is a relationship between JC viral load and PML risk? We would want to know if the JCV count is increasing or decreasing and if JCV count has a relationship to the chances of develping PML. Hoefully, that is being studied; if it isn't then Biogen is being absolutely irresponsible.

Thanks to those posting, it may be possible to see a limited indication of some types of patterns if enough people post. In any case, we continue to build our body of knowledge as we exchange information in the hopes of discovering the best way forward individually.

Thank you to those you continue to post the # of infusions and JCV status.

[pjrbfy]

JC study

I'm 47 yrs. old, on Tysabri for 3 yrs., and I just tested negative for the JC Virus.

[cathykelly]

JCV-

4-13-10 Tysabri #1
11-22-10 Tysabri #9
12-10-10 Test negative to JCV (51 years old)
12-21-10 Tysabri #10