HELLO & WELCOME TO HCM FORUM


Factors Known to Cause False-Positive HIV Antibody Test Results
•     Anti-carbohydrate antibodies
•     Naturally-occurring antibodies
•     Passive immunization: receipt of gamma globulin or immune globulin (as prophylaxis against infection which contains antibodies)
•     Leprosy
•     Tuberculosis (YOUR PROBLEM)
•     Mycobacterium avium
•     Systemic lupus erythematosus
•     Renal (kidney) failure
•     Hemodialysis/renal failure
•     Alpha interferon therapy in hemodialysis patients
•     Flu
•     Flu vaccination
•     Herpes simplex I
•     Herpes simplex II
•     Upper respiratory tract infection (cold or flu)
•     Recent viral infection or exposure to viral vaccines
•     Pregnancy in multiparous women
•     Malaria
•     High levels of circulating immune complexes
•     Hypergammaglobulinemia (high levels of antibodies)
•     False positives on other tests, including RPR (rapid plasma reagent) test for syphilis
•     Rheumatoid arthritis
•     Hepatitis B vaccination
•     Tetanus vaccination
•     Organ transplantation
•     Renal transplantation
•     Anti-lymphocyte antibodies
•     Anti-collagen antibodies (found in gay men, haemophiliacs, Africans of both sexes and people with leprosy)
•     Serum-positive for rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibody (both found in rheumatoid arthritis and other autoantibodies)
•     Autoimmune diseases : Systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, connective tissue disease, dermatomyositis
•     Acute viral infections, DNA viral infections
•     Malignant neoplasms (cancers)
•     Alcoholic hepatitis/alcoholic liver disease
•     Primary sclerosing cholangitis
•     Hepatitis
•     "Sticky" blood (in Africans)
•     Antibodies with a high affinity for polystyrene (used in the test kits)
•     Blood transfusions, multiple blood transfusions
•     Multiple myeloma
•     HLA antibodies (to Class I and II leukocyte antigens)
•     Anti-smooth muscle antibody
•     Anti-parietal cell antibody
•     Anti-hepatitis A IgM (antibody)
•     Anti-Hbc IgM
•     Administration of human immunoglobulin preparations pooled before 1985
•     Haemophilia
•     Haematologic malignant disorders/lymphoma
•     Primary biliary cirrhosis
•     Stevens-Johnson syndrome9,
•     Q-fever with associated hepatitis
•     Heat-treated specimens
•     Lipemic serum (blood with high levels of fat or lipids)
•     Haemolyzed serum (blood where haemoglobin is separated from the red cells)
•     Hyperbilirubinemia
•     Globulins produced during polyclonal gammopathies (which are seen in AIDS risk groups)
•     Healthy individuals as a result of poorly-understood cross-reactions
•     Normal human ribonucleoproteins
•     Other retroviruses (YOUR PROBLEM)
•     Anti-mitochondrial antibodies
•     Anti-nuclear antibodies
•     Anti-microsomal antibodies
•     T-cell leukocyte antigen antibodies
•     Proteins on the filter paper
•     Epstein-Barr virus
•     Visceral leishmaniasis
•     Receptive anal sex

HIV RNA PCR IS SPECIFIC FOR HIV AND WILL NOT BE HINDERED BY ANY OTHER HTLV/ TB

THIS TEST IS USED TO DIAGNOSE WHENEVER WESTERN BLOT TEST IS NON SPECIFIC.


TAKE CARE

DR. MAYANK BHARGAVA