[Guest]

Hello doctor,
Yesterday I went and took an HIV test, as we are now three months post exposure. I asked for an HIV antibodies test.....and when talking with the person who withdraws blood from my arms, and discussing the ELISA etc....he told me that their antibodies tests are not ELISA's.....because they are not that accurate, and can sometimes show false positives. Instead, he told me, their antibodies tests are done by testing for antigen???? Is this a new method of HIV Antibodies testing??? or is testing for antigen totally un-related to testing for antibodies?

I'm lost cause i went and asked for an HIV antibodies test as i know this is the most practical and the one recommended. And when i worked things in my mind after I left, I was very confused, mainly cause I was worried that they might have performed the P-24 antigen test...although I very much doubt it as I clearly asked for an HIV antibodies test. I also read that the antigen attaches itself to the antibodies in the body....so could it be that they test for the antigen attached to the antibodies or is there no such testing methods known of as we speak?

Eagerly awaiting your reply.

[Guest]

Below is a url describing all kinds of tests:
http://www.hopkins-aids.edu/publications/book/ch2_main.html

But, I'll also answer your question. There is no such thing as an antigen-antibody or antibody-antigen test for hiv. An antigen is a protein or glycoprotein that causes an immune reaction and development of antibodies in our bodies. Proteins and glycoproteins on the surface of microbes institute such reactions and antibody formation. Vaccines have similar proteins to simulate the immune reactions too.

To look for HIV we can look for antibodies against it, an elisa or western blot. Or we can look for the virus itself, either with p-24 antigen (an antigen or the surface of the virus), or viral rna.

If they weren't doing an elisa or western blot (and we only do western blots after elisa), they were doing pcr or bdna (looking for viral rna), or a p24.
GR
[quote] Hello doctor,
Yesterday I went and took an HIV test, as we are now three months post exposure. I asked for an HIV antibodies test... [/quote]

[Guest]

Hello doctor,
Thanks a lot for your clarification and well I received my results yesterday...the test results were documented as follows:

"HIV 1 & 2 Antibodies test : Negative"

SO i presume then that I did an elisa test; for it is the only antibodies test available off the bat?

Also, this test was taken 3 months and one week post exposure, and I'm wondering if it is now CONCLUSIVE that I dont have hiv? or Do I have to do another test at the 6 months marker?


My last question has to do with the ARS; is it possible under ANY circumstances for the ARS symptoms to appear on someone 3 months after exposure? or is it simply too late....Cause I was thinking of a scenario where the initial viral load entering the body was very low concentrated that it took the body 3 months to react to it(because the virus took that long to be present in a considerable quantity in the body). Then again I'm not a physician, I'm just wondering if such a thing is possible...

your answers and feedback would be of tremendous value to me , as always.
[quote] Below is a url describing all kinds of tests:
http://www. hopkins-aids... [/quote]

[Guest]

No, ARS occurs around day 5-10 after infection. It never occurrs at 3 months. It occurrs when the virus spreads rapidly after infection. Based on your testing you're negative. Now, if you had a VERY high risk exposure, like sharing needles with a known or very likely positve, or unprotected insertive intercourse with a known or very likely positive, AND if you had symptoms CLASSIC for ARS in the first 7-14 days, I'd test again at 6 months.
[quote] Hello doctor,
Thanks a lot for your clarification and well I received my results yesterday. ... [/quote]

[Guest]

my exposure was unprotected sex with a possibly infected hiv lady, just a one night stand. She isnt a sex worker or so on, but I know she's had a lot of partners in her life, I had cuts too down there so that is why I am worried cause I know this increases the risk of transmission. I've also heard from a friend that she is hiv positive, but I'm not certain if she is or not. However regarding the ARS classic symptoms, I'm not a hundred percent positive of what those classic symptoms are; if they are a fever, sore throat, a rash, swollen glands, muscle aches, etc....I've had NONE of those in the first month even, unless a rash occured in a place that I cant easily see(speaking of ARS rashes, do they even have the slightest of feeling and texture to them, or dont they have ANY feeling to them, and can only be seen by the eyes??) Anyway as far as everything else, I'm sure i didnt get any of the to-be-felt symptoms in the first month that is UNLESS they last a very short period of time to be un noticed or not remembered which I doubt. So based on the information I provided, should I be tested again at 6 months?

This last point brings me to what's been puzzling me all along which is the DURATION of ARS symptoms; is there a MINIMUM duration for ARS symptoms to last? like say a week or so on? or can it last only one day for example? also is there a maximum for its duration?

and the last point that I need to understand has to do with each's individual's response to hiv. As far as I understand, ARS symptoms would occur in the first month after infection, which means that the virus spreads in the body of all individuals by this time...if this is true, then why does it take some bodies longer than others to produce antibodies that can be detected through tests? Is it because each body responds DIFFERENTLY when they discover the virus? or is it because some bodies respond SLOWER than others when it comes to producing antibodies? Is there a factor that would predict how someone's body would react in comparison to another? or is this matter simply unexplainable?

eagerly waiting your reply doctor.
[quote] No, ARS occurs around day 5-10 after infection. It never occurrs at 3 months... [/quote]

[Guest]

As you note, you had no symptoms consistent with ARS in the first month. Usually it starts around day 7 and may last 1-2 weeks. ARS is NOT subtle. The people that have it feel ill.. rash (looks like measles), fever, sore throat, swollen glands. The vast majority of people make antibodies by 4-6 weeks. Virtually all have it by 8-10 weeks. The slight variation in this is seen in all traits that all animals have. We're mostly the same, but not all exactly 100% the same! GR
[quote] my exposure was unprotected sex with a possibly infected hiv lady, just a one night stand. She isnt a sex worker or so on, but I know she's had a lot of partners in her life, I had cuts too down there so that is why I am worried cause I know this increases the risk of transmission... [/quote]