Antigen and Antibody dual testing and window period

Hi,

I had a very high risk exposure after which i believed i experienced numerous symptoms of hiv (i.e. at two week mark post exposure had sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, malaise, etc). Anyway to cut a long story short I convinced myself I had acquired hiv and worked myself up into a frenzy.

However at 72 days post exposure I took an HIV antibody / p24 antigen test along with a rapid test which gave me the results within 15 mins. All results came back negative, thank god. These tests were done in the UK, however unfortunately I currently live in the middle east and am unable to get further testing done for 6 months. Needless to say I’m now starting to get anxious once again relating to the window period.

I have the following questions:

1) The HIV antibody / p24 antigen is a dual test which tests for both the antibodies and the P24 antigens, correct?
2) In a situation such as mine where the clinic uses a combined test is 72 days sufficient for testing? or does the 3 month window rule still apply?
3) If the early symptoms I experienced were due to hiv, then would my body definitely begin to develop hiv antibodies?
4) How long will it typically take someone to seroconvert after the onset of symptoms?
5) Do ARS symptoms ever occur later than 2-3 months?

Thanks for your help and time

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I am not familiar with the test you describe.  My answers are based on the assumption that the test you had would have performed similarly to the tests used here in the U.S (and that is a safe assumption).

1.  Correct, the purpose of the p24 antigen portion of the test is to detect HIV before body has made antibodies.   together a double negative can be taken as assurance that you do not have HIV.
2.  See above.  The p24 adds to your assurance.  While there are fewer data on the course of p24 antigen other than to say that it becomes positive earlier than the antibody test, the combined test should give you assurance that you do not have HIV.  At ten weeks (72 days) over 99% of persons who have caught HIV will have developed antibodies.
3.  They were not due to HIV, the negative test prove that.
4.  Only a few weeks.
5.  No

Be comfortable, you do not have HIV.  EWH

[billick]

Sorry forgot one question:

6) Do todays test mentioned above test for HIV 1 & 2 and all known sub types of the virus

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Yes, it should cover both.  EWH