I have a question regarding testing:
I got my results back today from LabCorp. It was the Trinity Captia ELISA IGG test for both 1 & 2. Both results were negative at 11.2 weeks post exposure. I also had this test done at 8.5 weeks, negative for both.
What is everyone's view of this test and it's accuracy and it's likelihood to change at 16 weeks? Thanks for your help.
In my laboratory the HerpeSelect ELISA tends to be more accurate than the Western blot. This is not the same test as the Univesity of Washington Western Blot. I had originally thought your Western Blot was from UW but that appears not to be the case. I would revise my assessment to say (again) that your HSV-2 results may be falsely positve. Further, you may or may not have HSV-1.
Do you have hsv1? What was the numeric value of the quest positive tests?
Absolutely there is a need to confirm both of these values. I would suggest the western blot. You can obtain a test kit from the University of Washington and have your health care provider draw and send the blood or my clinic can arrange testing for you if you become a phone patient of ours.
There is about a 40% chance that the HSV 2 could be a false positive.
Or call the University of Washington dept of Virology (the place that conducts the Western Blot test) and ask a nurse or doctor there what issues they have heard about with the HerpeSelect ELISA. They won't know of any either.
Thanks for the answer Dave. Couple of follow up questions. Do you know if the specific test I took was an Elisa test I couldn't tell because it said ARUP in the title and I've never heard of that before.
I remember reading an old post from grace that asked someone if they ever had cold sores and the person said no and she responded saying that if they never had cold sores and had contracted HSV-2 they would probably be showing the typical herpes blisters.
If you test too early after infection, the screening ELISA test that you had done could pick up early infection where the western blot did not. I would advise that before taking the western blot, you wait at least 4 months for an accurate test. If you are negative by western blot for both, and you have waited 4 months and your first ELISA value was between 1.1 and 3.5, then I would consider the western blot the accurate result here.
If negative, it will reinforce the possibility of a false positive test. Second, have an HSV Western blot test (done at the University of Washington laboratory in Seattle, but can be sent to them by any lab). WB is more expensive, but it is the gold standard test to sort out situations like yours.
I hope this helps.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV-Prevention/Window-period---Rapid-Test/show/1134924
Doctor Handsfiled
Finally I had all the information on the guy I had a risky encounter with.
Hbsag test by Elisa method cut off value 0.0555, test OD:5.885,sgpt=29,billurubine 1.
Thanks for clarifying. What was the second test -- was that an immunoblot?
The most common immunoblot test is by Focus, just as your ELISA test. It's really a variation on the same test -- using a blot technology, rather than ELISA, to detect a positive result. As suggested above, I would recommend WB as the next test you should do.
There are some superb herpes experts in Montreal. I'm thinking in particular about a colleague at Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec.
Hello,
I have tested for PCR DNA for HIV at 25 days post exposure (unprotective insertive vaginal sex with complete stranger cocaine user) and at 6 weeks rapid test and elisa test at 8 weeks ( 2 days) short and for all other stds
my GP at the university said that testing after this is not warranted
I know that cdc recommends 3 months
SHOULD I GO BY MY GP WORDS OR SHOULD I GET TESTED AGAIN?
Hello, I have some questions about the HerpesSelect Type Specific test. How accurate is a negative result after 6 months post exposure? I've read many stories on here where people test negative after 3 months or more post exposure but end up testing positive on a swab test. Are false negatives common on an IGG test after the proper amount of time has passed or is this a rare occasion that happens every once in a while?
Your blisters do sound typical for herpes, unfortunately. The ELISA test, the IgG type specific test that is normally used for screening, misses at least one out of 10 cases of HSV 1. You could do one of two things:
1) wait until you get your next blister, no matter how small, and ask for a PCR swab to be done of it immediately or
2) get a herpes western blot antibody test.
If I were somehow in your shoes, I would contact the University of Washington and follow the protocol to get the Western Blot test performed.
I m not sure if they use ELISA test but if I get WB asap then there may not be a need for another test, hopefully! Can you provide me all the info I need to get WB test? Where, when, how, how much, how long results take, etc??? I just need to figure this out and I have to say, whether this is just wishful thinking, I do not believe in my heart I have HSV 2.......but I guess the tests will tell me one way or another.
0) using analogous European tests. The sensitivity of a U.S. C6 ELISA used as a stand-alone test (88% overall) was statistically comparable to that of conventional 2-tiered testing using European tests (P=0.47) and was 100% specific. Similarly, an alternative 2-tiered algorithm using a standard U.S. ELISA followed by a C6 ELISA was comparably sensitive (84% overall) compared with conventional 2-tiered testing using European assays (P=0.82), and specificity remained 100%.
Conclusions.
I tested positive ( it was 1,3 I think, over 1,1 is considered positive) on a combined (HSV 1 and 2 together) IgG ELISA antibody test. I redid it. The result was the same. Then I did a PCR of saliva in the herpes centre (in Russia). Positive 30% (not really sure what it means). The doctor from this centre told me I definitely have HSV (it was not specified which one).
Two weeks from the initial blood test (May 8, 2013), I went back to my doctor who ordered the a type-specific HSV-2 ELISA by HerpeSelect and the WB. The ELISA test came back at 1.4(something), and I was told that the corresponding inhibition assay again came back positive. My doctor also told me that Quest (who serves my university health center) no longer does the WB, and I should come back in 2 months to get the ELISA again to see if the number changed.
What should I do? Take the Western Blot or wait another 3 months and then retest with ELISA? What are the chances that I still haven't seroconverted?
m aware hsv1 sometimes does not show up on the elisa test and it requires a western blot / immunoblot test doing. Is this possible in the UK, or only America? Dr Hook believes it is unwarrented as i don't even know defintitly HSV however can i rely on the current blood test? Dr Hook states even if it was HSV 1 genital it is nothing to worry about regarding tranmission. Can i be certain i don't have HSV 2 and the Elisa is not picking it up?
35% of those with the less than 3.5 range are actually positive. I myself have had an HSV-1 and HSV-2 ELISA test come back and I have had a low range HSV-2 as well (1.72), and I'm still waiting for results to confirm if I actually have it or not.
False positives usually happen due to "cross-reaction" in the HSV ELISA tests, because these methods confuse the HSV-1 virus as the HSV-2 virus if the HSV-1 is present, and it can spit back false positive results on your HSV-2 test.
I went through 3 risky sexual encounters with a guy who was in his window period (it was exactly what happenedl). He had a negative test after meeting me for the first time but did not tell me the truth regarding window period. Well...
Risky encounters: **I performed oral sex on his penis twice. There was no ejaculation from him. Last time was on October 24th and the duration of the act was nos longer than 45 seconds each time.
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