Three Negative Blod Test and Two Possitive--What to think?

[girl21590]

First I like to thank the Doctors in this Forum and a special thanks to Grace as well.
You are all doing an excellent job of keeping us all informed!
My story:
I have had 3 Negative tests and 2 Positive! Don’t know what to think!
I dated a man with Herpes2 from Aug 2005-Jan 2006. He contracted the Herpes 20 years ago and took Valtrex and didn't have an OB during the relationship.
Well aware of the risk. I took Valtrex as a precaution, just incase I got infected!
I have never had any symptoms of Herpes.
I had the following test by Quest Diagnostics
Feb. 06: Herpes IgM AB--1:80 Titer Positive for a recent infection.
                         Herpes IgG AB Type1--0.11 Neg.
                         Herpes IgG AB Type 2--0.03 Neg
Apr. 06: Herpes IgG AB Type1--0.06 Neg.(Herpes Select EIA)
                  Herpes IgG AB Type 2--0.04 Neg (Herpes Select EIA)
Nov. 07: Herpes IgG AB Type1--0.16 Neg (Herpes Select EIA)
                             Herpes IgG AB Type 2----0.59 Negative (Herpes Select EIA)
Stopped taking Valtrex after my second Neg test in April 2006. A month later I had a really bad UTI. Worried about the tests being false negative and another UTI like that, so I continued the Valtrex.
A third test: one year and 10 months after possible exposure. Negative!! I have not had any sexual relations since Jan 2006. Stopped taking Valtrex Nov. 2007
Again—worried that Valtrex may have prevented me from developing antibodies, I did a fourth test in Mar. 2008. To my surprise it was positive.
Mar. 08: Herpes IgG AB Type 1----0.18 Neg(Herpes Select by EIA)
                        IgG AB Type 2----3.29 Pos (Herpes Select EIA)
Apr. 08: Herpes IgG AB Type 2----1.61 Pos(Lab Corb)

My questions are:
Can you've Herpes for two years without antibodies?
Can Valtrex prevent you from developing antibodies?
If not----How reliable are these tests really?
Which tests should I believe in?

Thanks in advance for all your time in here!
Girl21590

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Glad to help. Please let us know if UW results show anything different.  EWH

[girl21590]

That is what I thought as well!

I have never had any symptoms and still do not have any symptoms after being of Valtrex for almost 6 months.

I'm seeing my doctor next week and will ask for a WB test done at University of Washington. Just as a final test!

Your comments were very helpful!

Girl21590

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The short answer is that you appear to have acquired infection with type-2 HSV.  In looking at the series of lab tests that you provide I have the following comments, trying to piece the information together:

You did not have herpes in  In February or April 06.  I would tend to discount the IgM test result you had in Feb 06.  They (the IgM tests) are not good tests.  I note that although technically in the negative range, your HerpeSelect titer in Nov 7 had increased considerably compared to earlier values, making me wonder if you were beginning to develop a positive test at that time.  Then at the time of your repeat tests in Mar and April 08, you antibodies are positive indicating acquisition of infection.  Antibodies do develop slowly after infection in some people, taking six months or more for tests to become positive.

As for when you got it, hard to say.  You did not mention any typical outbreaks so I presume you did not have one.  This does occur, even in people who are not taking valacyclovir as you did.  For uninfected persons to take valacyclovir to prevent infection has not been studies and while it might help we cannot say. If one were taking it however, it is reasonable to thing that this might prevent the clinically symptomatic initial episode and, perhaps modify antibody production in some unknown way (i.e slow development of antibodies)

These  tests are good tests.  Hope these comments are helpful.  EWH