Understanding HSV Results

[bluedude86]

I had sexual contact with a partner on Sunday.  On Tuesday, I developed mild flu like symptoms.  On Thursday, I felt irritation in a small area of my perineum skin.  It simply looked pinkish red.  I went to the doctor on Saturday and the doctor said that it didn't look like herpes, but would do a viral culture.

While researching online, I found a website and ordered Herpes Blood Tests.  

Here are the results...
LabCorp Panel #164913
HSV I/II IgG, 5.0 H, POSITIVE, RELFEX
HSV TYPE I IgG, <0.91 NEGATIVE
HSV TYPE II IgG, <0.91 NEGATIVE

HSV IgM, <0.91 NEGATIVE

The blood testing was done 6 days after potential exposure.  The viral culture came back NEGATIVE.  The doctor couldn't explain the LabCorp result so he repeated a type specific test through the hospital.  It came back NEGATIVE for both types.

So my question is...what exactly is HSV I/II IgG, 5.0 H, POSITIVE.  Is this a common antibody that develops first?  Wouldn't my IgM have been positive too?

The skin irritation resolved without treatment in 3-4 days.  Any insight would be appreciated!!!  

[gracefromHHP]

congrats on being negative!

[bluedude86]

Grace,

I just did repeat testing at 14 weeks.  Both HSV IgG Types I and Type II were negative.  Am I in the clear?  Is 14 weeks a pretty accurate result using IgG?

I am just concerned about the combo IgG Type I & II test six days after exposure I explained in a earlier post.  Is it possible that test just isn't accurate?  It seems weird the test would show positive and then reflex to negative.

Joe

[gracefromHHP]

you are still negative at this time but honestly you can't say it's the final answer on your status until the 6 week mark at the earliest.

many studies out there on time to seroconversion and most do not come up with 100% seroconversion by 6 weeks which is why we recommend waiting like we do.

[bluedude86]

Grace,

Here is an update.  At just over six weeks, I had a HerpeSelect IgG Test through Quest Diagnostics.

The results were:

Type 1: .30
Type 2: .12

Both are considered negative as they were below the .90 cutoff.  I've done a lot of reading regarding seroconversion and studies from the University of Washington.  What I was able to garner is that 100% of the subjects with primary HSV-2 infections seroconverted within 2-6 weeks.  One study that specifically analyzed the HerpeSelect test mentioned a mean time (which is listed on Quests website) of 25 days.

I see a lot of talk about 12-16 weeks.  I completely understand that everyone's body is different and that the tests each lab uses are different.  However, in a normally healthy individual who is tested at 6 weeks by HerpeSelect and has a Index Value of .12, would that test be very reliable?  Is the 12-16 week window just to cover folks with immune systems issues like cancer, HIV, etc.?  

[bluedude86]

Thank you, Grace.  That's what I figured.  Waiting three months will be tough, but I'm confident that the negative culture is a good sign.

I know that Quest Diagnostics does the HerpeSelect test.  I'm going to have that done in 3 months.

Thanks again for the prompt response.

[gracefromHHP]

your blood testing was done too early to be of any use from that particular encounter.

at this point, all you can do is wait 3 months post encounter and repeat your herpes igg blood testing. don't waste time or money on the combined testing or the igm since both are not worthwhile!

your positive combined result isn't of much help. There are high false positive rates and we don't recommend that test even be done any more.

grace