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Ask the Experts about Understanding Your Labs
PCR TESTING
Jul 31, 2008
Hi
How accurate is a PCR test and Elisa done at the same time and would being on PEP (combivir) affect the results in detecting HIV ?
Thanks
Response from Dr. McGowan
PCR testing should generally not be used for diagnosing HIV infection. The ELISA, which is very sensitive (meaning it will usually pick up all infected people) is the primary diagnsotic test. The Elisa is less reliable if someone has just recently (within a few weeks) been exposed to HIV. In that case, the test may not yet be positive, but repeat testing in 2 -4 weeks should have "converted" to positive. If we feel, due to symptoms, that a person is acutely infected, we may do a PCR or "viral load" test. At that early stage of infection the viral load should be very high. The problem with using PCR to diagnose HIV is that the test can report very low levels of virus in people who are not infected...these would be "false positives". When we use it only for acutely infected people the levels should not be in that low range.
Joe
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