POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: mooon29 on May 18, 2008, 10:35:46 am
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Hi, ,
Thanks for all of your help, that U provide on this forum, but what do u thinkof this???
After having a few tests I still occasionally not feeling well, and have my lympho nodes enlarged for 1 month, from time to time. Doctor says its less than 6 weeks, therefore no worries, but he cant find any reason why they are painfull and large.
And they last already for more than 2 years. I had my CD4 test done, apart from ELISA and it came back less than 500
and 30%.
This is the topic
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00040569.htm#00001553.htm
But also my concern is of the clades of HIV. Of which CDC clearly says, that they cant be tested.
Thank you for your inquiry to CDC-INFO. In response to your request for information on group O and N HIV infections, we are pleased to provide you with the following relevant information.
Following the first identified case of group O HIV-1 infection in the United States in 1996, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated that newer versions of HIV EIA/ELISA test kits demonstrate the ability to reliably detect the majority of HIV infections caused by group O viruses. Tests currently in use, including both EIA/ELISA platform and rapid test platforms, reliably detect the majority (at least 80%) of HIV-1 infections caused by group O viruses. Some of the newest assays have demonstrated 100% sensitivity to Group O HIV-1 viruses, although the overall rarity of infections caused by Group O viruses and the extreme rarity in the United States makes this of minimal practical importance. Detailed information on HIV antibody test kit performance is available from the FDA at:http://www.fda.gov or by phone at: 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)
It may be important to be clear about the terminology used in discussing HIV. HIV-1 and HIV-2 are completely separate types of the HIV virus that are distantly related. HIV-1 viruses are broken out into three different groups, M (major) which accounts for the vast majority of cases in the worldwide epidemic of HIV, O (other or outlier) which is restricted to western Africa and even there is not the majority group of HIV-1, and N (non-M, non-O) has been isolated only in Cameroon.
Group M is further broken down into subtypes known as "clades" that are lettered A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J and K. The former clade E has been reclassified as a recombinant form of clade A and a parent clade E. However, no pure clade E sample has ever been found, and the clade formerly called E is more appropriately referred to as AE. The former clade I, represented by one isolate, has since been determined to be a recombinant form of A, G, H, K, and other unclassified clades. The designation clade I is no longer in use. HIV-1, group M, clade B accounts for the vast majority of HIV infections in the United States, while other clades are more common in other geographical areas of the world. However, the current HIV antibody detection kits reliably detect HIV infections caused by clades other than B.
PCR testing for the identification and quantification of HIV RNA is not FDA-approved as a screening test. HIV RNA quantification is only licensed for use in persons known to be infected with HIV and these tests are used to monitor disease progression and response to therapy. Due to the rapid decline of circulating HIV RNA shortly after infection, PCR tests for HIV RNA have a high rate of false negative results in persons who are in the early course of HIV infection. HIV RNA rapidly diminishes in less than a month after infection making a reliance on HIV RNA detection for diagnosis inappropriate and potentially dangerous in that a person who mistakenly believes that the absence of HIV RNA detection by PCR means that they are not infected when they in fact are may not take appropriate measures to prevent the transmission of HIV to others and may not seek appropriate and necessary care for themselves until they have progressed to significant clinical illness.
In addition, if a person is concerned about being infected with a non-Group M, clade B HIV-1 virus, HIV RNA detection by PCR is an even poorer choice of a diagnostic test because the primers used in the RNA amplification and detection process are specific to Group M, clade B because those are the characteristics of the overwhelming majority of HIV-1 infections in the United States.
Seroprevalence studies conducted in west Africa indicate that the prevalence of Group O HIV-1 infections is very low, 0.3% of all HIV-1 infected persons. The highest number of Group O isolates were from Cameroon, although Group O infections have been identified in Nigeria as well as in Chad, Gabon, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. The prevalence of HIV-1 Group O in Nigeria is less than 0.1%. See the following for additional information: Survey on HIV-1 group O infection in 12 different African countries.
Peeters M; Mboup S; Gueye A; Liegeois F; Patrel D; Vanden Haesevelde M; Delaporte E. International Conference on AIDS, 1996 Jul 7-12, 11:1, 14 (abstract no. Mo.A.510)
Group N isolates are represented by less than 10 isolates found among very large blood survey samplings of tens of thousands of volunteers, all of which have been found in Cameroon. This number of isolates represents an infinitesimally small number of the total number of HIV infections in Cameroon much less in all of Africa. Group N prevalence in Nigeria is currently 0%.
Due to the extreme rarity of Group O and Group N infections in western Africa and the even greater rarity of these Groups of HIV-1 in the rest of the world, there are no commercially available test kits specific to these Groups. Testing for these Groups is restricted to large scale research and sero-prevalence studies. In those exceptional situations in which an individual presents with a clinical picture suggestive of AIDS who also has either origins in western Africa, has lived in the region for long periods of time, or has other clinically relevant risk factors, may be tested by Group O and/or N specific tests if they repeatedly test negative for HIV on standard screening tests. Specific testing for Groups O and N are not available to persons who do not fall into these categories.
You may wish to repeat your HIV test up to 6 months following your last possible exposure. Repeated testing past 6 months post-exposure is not recommended and persons who test negative up to 6 months post exposure are considered to be uninfected.
Thank you for contacting the CDC-INFO Contact Center. Please do not hesitate to call 1-800-CDC-INFO, e-mail cdcinfo@cdc.gov, or visit www.cdc.gov if you have any additional questions.
CDC-INFO is a service of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This service is provided by Pearson Government Solutions under contract to CDC.
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As normal with the CDC, not everyone is up to date there with their own guidelines and policies. 3 months is conclusive and has been since 2004.
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Thanks, Rod,
Conclusive with all the clades??
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That reply of CDC I found on the forum
nainiu
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Re: itchy rashes coming in 5th week
« Reply #11 on: August 09, 2006, 06:06:06 am »
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It's conclusive with all clads and types and subtypes.
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Moon,
You're conclusively hiv negative. From what you've written, your perceived risk was years ago. You may not have had a risk to begin with - you haven't mentioned what you believe put you at risk.
Don't bother cutting and pasting posts from other forums - if you have questions about what is written elsewhere, you'll have to go to that website and ask.
Make sure you read the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) - click on the Lessons links and pay attention to the posting guidelines.
Ann
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I dont take info from the other forums, Ann. And I read the rules of the forum, I dont question my negative status, just asked a simple question, because the answers to "ordinary" questions I know very well myself. I dont feel occasionally well, thats the most important thing. R U from Belgium???
The info I cut out is from thsi forum and its here.
http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=342.0
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Dated August 2006
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Moon,
The most important thing is that you stop looking for hiv and start looking for the real cause of your physical discomfort. You've tested conclusively hiv negative. Todays hiv1/hiv2 combined tests would pick up any recongised strain. Remember, you've tested far outside the window.
Keep working with your doctor to find out what, if anything, is wrong with you. Whatever it is, it isn't hiv.
Ann
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R U from Belgium?
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Ann, are you based in Belgium??
You see, even Rod, questined all that
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I didn't question it. I said it was not correct. It's dated information.
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Rod, you said it was since 2004, all the clades were detected. But that info dated back to 2006
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You need to stop being sidetracked by irrelevant issues. You're HIV negative. Period. End of story. We've done what we can do for you here.
If you have troubling symptoms that is something to address with your doctor.
This is an HIV-specific site.
Cheers,
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I addressed my doctor, he saw lympho nodes, but he seems to know as much about HIV as a schoolboy. He agreed that I had enlarged lymphonodes and even repeatedly, as they were enlarged on few occasions.
I had a sexual contact with lady and it turned out she started her periods
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You also had a reliable negative conclusive test too.
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Its true the test was negative and a few times of course.
Im not one of those scared of all of this and I know it doesnt mean, that its HIV for sure, but I also dont exclude it from the list of infections I could have, especially if non of the general practitioners in London cant finally find the answer for all of that. Although most of the guidelines on testing say, if U think U could be infected with some rear strain seek medical help and I start seeking that medical help, everybody never takes me seriously, even aftre serious contact with blood and all the symptomps I had.
The CDC clearly giving pieces of advise as to the clades.
But never mind, when I said to a doctor I was gonna give blood as a donor, he said I shouldnt do it as I test, but I will have to do it now
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Maybe you can understand this.
Anyone who continues to post excessively, questioning a conclusive negative result or no-risk situation, will be subject to a four week Time Out (a temporary ban from the Forums). If you continue to post excessively after one Time Out, you may be given a second Time Out which will last eight weeks. There is no third Time Out - it is a permanent ban. The purpose of a Time Out is to encourage you to seek the face-to-face help we cannot provide on this forum.
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SO WHY ON EARTH?????
U KEEP ADVISING ME, ROD, and many many other people, that its not possible to miss some of the clades????
If someone has very suspious clinical symptoms of unknown nature???
I dont care, that I will be banned. But those who will find out about being infected after while, after U gave them such advise might curse U.
WHY ARE U DOIND SO?? Sitting here on this site for years, day by day>>>??
I asked one of the most important questions, which is interesting to a few people on this site, as we are watching whats going here for a few years. Im not a nutter or psycho, not even trying to be rude, the only problem is, that for some reason U r trying to misguide
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I would whatever is possible or not possible to stop U doing so. U dont have rights to do with somebodie's ;life
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3 months is conclusive and we don't have any tests that will not detect any types, subtypes or clades that are known to date. Seek professional mental help to deal with your conclusive negative result and your phobia of HIV.
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Sorry, mate, if I was in any sort of way rude to U.
Just having something, maybe it is not even HIV, but the bloody NHS doesnt pay attention to anything. You simply have to beg on your knees to get just general blood test done on you and I even changed 2 already. I dont understand these guys, being on the salary of £100000= $200000
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It sounds to me that the NHS is doing just what they should be doing and not ordering tests that you clearly don't need.
You were not at risk. You don't have HIV. You don't need to test.
MtD
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Im not saying, that they must do me the tests for HIV, as I had them so far a few, but they dont even bother to offer any help, when Im unwell, Im not talking about HIV now as it seems to me
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Moon,
Your problems are beyond the scope of this forum. I'm giving you a time out - please use it to seek the assistance of a mental health care professional to get to the bottom of why you insist on chasing an illness you clearly don't have.
Do not attempt to create a new account to get around your time out because if you do, you will be permanently banned.
And where I live is of no relevance to this thread nor is it any of your business.
Ann
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I dont want to go again and again to the same subject and repost my post, Im just giving the reference to my previous post as Im here already for 3 more than 3 years. Yes and Im not mentally ill and also in brilliant health. Whats bad about asking you?? I thought U are here to help, maybe give some advise. Well I spoke to my doctor, GP, in London and he said, that he doesnt know much about HIV himself, at least he was very honest.
thats my previous post
http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=20935.0;topicseen
I just got my blood counts results which are as follows:
Normal Range
CD3= 808 10*6/L (918-2023)
CD4= 469 10*6/L (455-1320)
CD8= 323 10*6/L (140-906)
Percentage CD3 count 65% (60-87)
Percentage CD4 count 38% (29-60)
Percentage CD8 count 26% (12-40)
CD4/CD8 ratio 1,5
Last year in July it was CD4 495 and percentage of CD4 30%
The doctor clearly noticed the abnormality of CD3 as it automatically came out from the print out.
No one seems to know a lot about HIV, whoever you ask, even doctors. I think many cases of unusual strains would go undected and not even investigated. How would they find out??? If standard test cant pick it up?? And probably they need to get RNA of that subtype or something like that.
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Please do not start a new thread every time you have another question or thought - regardless if you think your questions are related to each other or not. It helps us to help you when you keep all your thoughts or questions in one thread and it helps other readers to follow the discussion. Additional threads will be merged.
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Moon,
I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread. This isn't optional.
If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.
Please also read through the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.
You do not have hiv. Re-read your entire thread - our answers are not going to change. If I have to time you out again, it will be for 56 days.
Ann
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Ok, I wont be starting new ones, just didnt know what was the best and decided to start new one, as I was banned from the previous one
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Ann, I was looking for info about the latest ESSAYS by different laboratories and non of them say, that they do detect antibodies of strains N and O and to everyones knowledge I can tell, that most of the ordinary doctors dont know much about HIV and even health providers specializing in it, dont know about N and O a lot
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ELISA tests do test for Type I and II. Group M,N,O. You were told that previously.
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I want to trust you, man, but theres something strange going on and also my CD4 counts went down
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This is an HIV forum and you don't have HIV. Work with your doctor.
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Theres not much to say, of course you are right, but I have been with all it for 3 years now in and around this site. Of course I could be wrong< it doesnt by defauilt means that Im infected with HIV, but there were some strange fevers of 37,2 for 2 weeks and lady started her periods, blood everywhere
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moon,
There's nothing wrong with your CD4s. You have a percentage that many who actually DO have hiv would give their left arm for. You, on the other hand, DO NOT have hiv.
I'm giving you that time out I warned you about.
Ann
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year