ESR and HIV

[lacti]

My doctor phoned me today to say my blood Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) test came up high and suggested that there is an infection in my body that is non specified. He recommended that an HIV test should be done given my exposure. I was really devastated by this information which suggested there is a problem, and given the good state of my health before my exposure and then PEP treatment for 27days. Tests for kidney and liver function were all normal.

Here is an extract I found
(A common cause of elevated ESR is infection and other causes include malignancy, collagen vascular diseases, rheumatic heart disease, and other chronic disease states, including humans with a positive HIV antibody test.  Even asymptomatic, non-anaemic HIV positive individuals may have an increased ESR and the test may be predictive for disease progression)  

My question is given the high ESR results is a positive HIV results now more likely?

Comments would be appreciated please.

[terrywane80]

testing periodicaly post pep is much more reliefing than lking 4 symptoms.tis wat i do when am stressed.am 7wks postpep

[lacti]

Thanks a lot.

Hope you and Teak are right!

[mathematician]

The original poster got what the statement means.

[mathematician]

Read your first post. You have already qouted some causes apart from hiv.

[Teak]

Just because you have a headache doesn't in anyway mean you have HIV. There are no symptoms that are only specific to HIV.

[lacti]

Thanks a lot for your comment.

However, I disagree with your analogy because a headache can come and go in a day or so, even less. However an elevated ESR (especially when very high >40 say) takes a several weeks to build up and is usually caused by a sustained sickness in the body. Healthy individual don't get this without an underlying problem.

[lacti]

Thanks a lot for your comment and really appreciate your input.

I agree with your view point which is generally correct except when dealing with a healthy individual that has recently been exposed to HIV through unprotected sex with an infected individual, then a very high correlation between elevated ESR and HIV infection can not be excluded.

Agreed the test is only round the conner.

[mathematician]

Having a headache is doesn't necessary mean a brain tumor, so goes to your situation. Only a hiv test out of window period tell the story.

[Teak]

ESR tests won't tell you a thing about your HIV status. ONLY an HIV test will tell you your status. Elevated ESR in no way is specific to HIV.

[lacti]

Really would appreciate your rationale on this. I have read various extracts on this including
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/esr/test.html
under when ERS is ordered by a physician?

[Teak]

No..