Laboratory diagnosis of HIV infection is carried out in several ways and is crucial in the diagnosis. It consists in the detection of antibodies to HIV in the blood by the method of enzyme immunoassay with subsequent confirmation of the results by the method of immunoblotting. Such a comprehensive HIV test allows detection of the disease with an efficacy of 99%.
Reliability of HIV testing
The result of the HIV test may be false during the "serological window". This concept implies that serological diagnosis (performed to detect specific antibodies) in the first weeks after infection is not capable of detecting antibodies to HIV by ELISA because of their absence or low concentration. Also, the reliability of the HIV test can be questioned and even reduced to zero in cases of diagnosing children who are born from infected mothers. This type of HIV test will be better performed in a year, or even more.
Also to the disadvantages of serological diagnosis is false positive analysis for HIV, therefore, for a more accurate diagnosis, a specific test is needed - IB.
HIV test
The human immunodeficiency virus is an incurable disease, so if you have any symptoms, you should take an express test for HIV. This kind of analysis will help:
- establish the very fact of infection;
- determine the stage of the disease;
- appoint an effective treatment.
If the HIV test is positive, the infected person will be treated, the main functions of which are aimed at alleviating the course of the disease, prolonging life and improving its quality, and maintaining a good overall condition. If there is a need for any laboratory that conducts similar studies, anonymous HIV testing can be provided.
Antibodies to HIV in the blood appear within three months after infection only in 90-95% of infected, so if at this time the HIV test is negative, you need to repeat it in 3-6 months and completely eliminate the possibility of infection. The second HIV test should be done even if the date of possible infection was more than 3 months ago, as the results of laboratory diagnostics are treated only as the absence of specific antibodies in the HIV disease at this point in time. In addition, not only the incubation period can cause false positive HIV testing, but also malignant diseases, bone marrow transplantation or transfusion.
To take the test, do not eat at least 8 hours, so before the test for HIV in the evening it is better not to have supper and in the morning on an empty stomach to surrender the blood from the vein. In just 2 days you will be able to find out the results of the study. An HIV test can be taken at any hospital.
Identifying HIV
The delivery of HIV tests is only the first step in confirming the disease. To assess the severity of the disease you need to determine the concentration of the virus in the body. One of the most effective methods of direct detection of infection is PCR-polymerase chain reaction.
- detection of RNA / DNA virus can reduce the duration of the "serological window" by almost 11 days;
- the possibility of manifesting HIV even in children born to infected mothers;
- low cost of PCR tests.
The PCR method was the best solution for deciphering the results of IB, which is questionable, and in the future it may completely replace the expensive IS method.