combo test neg after 8 weeks but still worried

[phobia24]

Hi, 60 days ago i had unprotected vaginal sex with Thai sex worker for about 5 min. Here is my test list.

Week 5
Abbott combo 0.2 neg
Week 6
Abbott combo 0.31 neg
week 7
Abbott combo 0.43 neg
week 8 (60days)
Abbott combo 0.61 neg

I'm concerned with some questions.

1. My index value is steadily increasing and making me worried. Will I seroconvert???

2. I've taken Remicade(infliximab, TNF blocker) for years to care with Chrons disease. Would this make false neg results...?

3. Are there any cases who turned positive after 8 week negative in duo test?

I know that guideline says 12 week is a perfect window period but plz help me. I'm suffering from nightmare everyday. Plz save me....

[phobia24]

Guys, I'm finding any information about effct of remicade on hiv test window period. It will help me a lot. Thanks..

[CurfewX]

The lack of information likely indicates there's no known interference, but this is a lay-forum.  You should really be talking to the doctor who prescribed this medication.  We're not well-versed in very specific drugs.  The experts who used to post here stated that very few medications, which include chemotherapy, *might* cause delayed detection of antibodies, but even then, they stated that the 4th generation test is so sensitive it is unlikely to miss any antibodies.

[phobia24]

Thanks a lot.

[diver58]

Relax and calm down.The test you got done is a Combo test, very sensitive and equally potent to detect p24 Antigen, a protein associated with the virus core. In other words, the test also look for the virus, in addition to the antibodies formed.

Formation of antibodies may take 3-8 weeks or even more, depending on the immune system of the individual, however detection of the Antigen is independent of the antibodies.

So had it been an infection in the serum, the test would have picked it up by 3-6 weeks positively, since during this time of acute infection, amount of p24 remains pretty significant.

Just ignore the index value. It has many reasons to vary, bottom line is, it should not exceed the cut-off.

You may repeat the test after 3 month mark, not because you need it, but it will give you the ultimate peace of mind

[phobia24]

Thank you very much! May i ask just 1 more question? Are my tests also reliable about hiv-2? I've heard that p24 is only detectable for hiv-1. Considering hiv-2 might be obsession but..

[diver58]

Possibility of HIV-2 is negligibly small in the region where you had been to. This kind of virus is predominant in Eastern Africa only. Secondly, I am pretty sure that your test did not detect antibodies, because those were not present, not due to any immune deficiency but due to non existence of the infection. And antibody test covers both, 1 and 2