Indeterminate Western Blot

[Tadeys]

Tested positive for ELISA November 22; November 28 got an indeterminate western blot result: only p24, p17, p55 and p31 bands.

Had risky sex back in late June, perhaps first week of JULY. What is the probability that this will be positive, negative or just indeterminate? More info: had hepatitis B and Tettanus vaccination 6 weeks before these test...have read that P31 is related with Hepatitis B vaccine..any thoughts? 

Thanks,
S

[Andy Velez]

S, I have deleted your duplicate thread from the Spanish forum. A rule of the site is to keep all of your entries in the same thread. Use only this thread in the future if you have occasion to write here again. Thanks for your cooperation.

What exactly was the nature of your "risky sex"?

An indeterminate western blot is unusual. Did you discuss this with your doctor? I suggest you re-test.

[Tadeys]

Sorry for double posting.

As risky as can be... but without ejaculation and for a short period of time ( few minutes).
The HIV specialist I went to says that after 5 months post exposure it should have been positive if it were a true positive.... he said that there are RARE cases where it takes 6 months...I have read online that there are just a handful documented RARE cases, and that at 6 weeks and most def at 3 months it would have turned positive. The HiV specialist has had these same cases and he said that some indeterminates are cancers and others are autoimune disorders.

As I said, I got a Hepatitis B vaccine and a Tettanus vacine 1 month and a half before these test. ALSO, I have been taking for the past few months 4life Transfer Factor...basically BOVINE Colustrum in a pill....Perhaps a BOvINE retrovirus antibody is running through my blood.....?

The HIV specialist did a physical on me and did not find anything indicative of HIV...e.g.: no swollen lymphnodes; I get no fevers at night, have not lost any Weight either..and feel fine really.

Sir, how rare are Western Blot indeterminates? Have read online that somewhere between 10-20% of western blots are indeterminates...BUT These studies are from the mid 90s/2000....perhaps the older versions of the Western Blots gave more indeterminates...?

Another thing that's on my mind: with these HIv tests I got a basic Hemogram done. I have compared my total lymphocytes with past hemograms I have ( one of them is 10 months old, the other is a year and a half old)...and my total lymphocytes are higher NOW by 0.2 points at 2.5... slightly above what the middle
 range would be for this laboratory (1-3.5). I known that what counts is cd4s...but is'nt this in and of itself an indicator that my body Is the same in terms of my immune system?

Thank you,
S

Thanks,

S



weight, feel fine really.

[Tadeys]

PS: the specialist recomended a PCR. So I GEt the results Dec 30th....I am really freaking out here. The wait is hell.

Thanks,
s

[Andy Velez]

What does "risky as can be"mean? You keep avoiding being specific which makes it hard to evaluate your situation.

[Tadeys]

In terms of The western blot detecing proteins, My western blot has p31, a protein which is last to be detected BUT on my western Blot I have no ENV glycoproteins, 2 of which are the first to be detected on a Western Blot...just weird, I think...any thoughts?
 See link below for protein detection time frame:

http://www.clinlabnavigator.com/Test-Interpretations/human-immunodeficiency-virus-western-blot.html

[RapidRod]

What was your possible exposure?

[Tadeys]

.

[Tadeys]

No drugs, no booze either.

[RapidRod]

Have a good day.

[Tadeys]

.

[Andy Velez]

As long as the condom did not break, then you are worrying needlessly about HIV. Condoms provide very effective protection against HIV transmission. When a condom fails it's very apparent what has happened because it ends up looking like a hoop with fringe on the penis.

As far as oral is concerned, your saliva contains over a dozen elements and proteins which prevent the transmission of viable HIV if you are giving oral. And receiving oral is absolutely not a risk. 

I suggest you re-test for clarification.

[Tadeys]

Thanks for the reply Andy. What can you say about my atypical western blot?

.would you agree on the following:1) Since gp160, gp120, gp41( the ENV bands) are the first to show up on a Western Blot and that p31 is the last band to show up, then my case( if I were a true positive) does not correlate with an early seroconversion/window period pattern on a Western Blot. My encounter with this person happened in
June...got my western blot 5 months latter.
Do not have any of the ENV, but do have p31 along with the OTHER three that are found on most ID Western Blots:p24, p17, P55.

Thank you Sir.