Question about Seroconversion

[sms180]

Dear  Doctor


Please understand that i’m not trying to argument that facts but i really need to understand as to back to my life. I may also help many people that are suffering the anxiety as i’m doing.

My doctor told me that Elisa test 3 generation gives a conclusive result at the mark of 12 week = 3 months for detecting the HIV antibody. FDA and CDC mentioned that HIV antibody test is conclusive for detecting the HIV antibody at the mark of 3 months.

But the table in this link indicate http://www.zeptometrix.com/hivseroconversion.htm something else. at least 5 patients was unable to be defected by  3 generation and 4 generation by the 3 months.
May be i understood the table in the right way.


Can you please answer my questions?

Which test is conclusive at the mark of 3 months for detecting the HIV antibody?.

Why the table you mentioned her showing at least 5 patients that goes beyond the 3 months in
order to shows the HIV antibody using the 3 generation?

Can you briefly explain what this table trying to say. It looks like 3 months is not enough for Elisa test 3 generation to gives a conclusive result at the mark of 12 week

Regards
Jakson

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Last answer.  You are wasting your time testing further.  Your results are conclusive and you do not need more testing.  You do not have HIV.  EWH

[sms180]

Dear Dr.Edward,

I just have one question it is not related to the link above.

I have tested at 9 week and my result comes out as following :

HIV 1 Ag+ HIV 1+2 Abs ( ECLLA)  0.29 ( negative) IU/ML      < 2.0 Non reactive.

I have tested again at 12 week and my result comes out as following :

HIV 1 Ag+ HIV 1+2 Abs ( ECLLA)  0.35 ( negative) IU/ML      < 2.0 Non reactive.

I don’t know which generation is this test

I see that the number is increasing. Dose this pose any concert to retest ?

Can you predict which generation is this- I live in jordan?  

[Edward W Hook, MD]

In general we do not delete even those misleading posts which contain incorrect information, preferring to point out the problems with the client's reasoning or process.  This client's thread is a superb example of the hazards of cruising the internet and then applying information out of context to come to incorrect conclusions, nothing more.  As stated above, the information found at the web site DOES NOT describe the seroconversion process as there are no dates of exposure or other clinical information provided.  The serum panels described are RESEARCH REAGENTS collected for other purposes in persons who acquired HIV.  They CANNOT be interpreted as examples of test imprecision or late seroconversion.  End of story.

There will be no further comments made or accepted as part of this thread.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

ARS does not come and go- the symptoms occur all at once.  The ARS does not occur at 10 weeks after exposure.

There is no need for further testing.  I urge you to believe your test results and move forward.  EWH

[sms180]

Thank you doctor for you answer.

I really appreciate your time and experience.
I understood that those are a collection of frozen blood that has been re-tested over the time using the new technology, for example you can find this http://www.zeptometrix.com/HIV9031.pdf patient recorded of bleeding date and it shows positive by 150 day even using the 4th generation technology . I’m really confused too it looks like the company trying to urge that 12 month may not be conclusive. I will try to contact them hopefully they will answer  

However we should trust the science and the experience of you and other expert in this forum.

Just last question to confirm and move on.  I have testing negative at 3 month mark using Elisa 3 generation

Do I need any future test. Even I still have some symptom such as
Loose stool
Constant nausea

Dose the ARS come and go ?

Can someone have ARS at week 10 or more?

Thanks
      

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  I'll try to help but the table you refer to is not clear to me in terms of what it is, where it came from, when persons were exposed, etc.  I reviewed it and found it rather confusing and unclear.  This is not a scientific study.  These are collections of sera obtained by this company and sold as RESEARCH REAGENTS from persons in the process of developing HIV over time.   Often these sorts of specimens have been collected from plasma donors who regularly donate blood and then happen to acquired HIV (or other infections).   There are no data I see on when exposure occurred so to assume that just because persons had negative tests prior to becoming positive does not mean that they had even been exposed at the time negative sera were obtained.    If you have questions I suggest that you discuss it with the company.  I am confident however that you are somehow mis-interpreting the Table if you think that it is proof of delayed seroconversion.  If there were the sorts of problems you are concerned with about currently available tests, we would know of it.  

I remain confident that all currently available and approved tests for HIV antibodies provide definitive results at 12 weeks (actually, as we have explained repeatedly on this Forum, 8 weeks) following an exposure.  EWH