HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

Could An ELISA Test Show False Positive Result Due To Chlamydia Infection?

Hello first I will provide my sexual history, I have been with one person since 2009 and we had a son born in sept 2010. We broke up in January of 2011 this year and in late August 2010 I had unprotected sex with another girl. Well she contacted me saying she had tested positive for Chlamydia and she had been tested for hiv and it was negative. So I went to get tested until 10-14-11 for chlamydia and hiv, hep b, hep c, gonorrhea etc. A week later I called the Dr's office for my results, I was told "you tested negative for hiv and everything else except Chlamydia, we will call in a treatment to your pharmacy" So i started on the treatment doxycycline. I went to my Dr's appointment on the 25th which was this month because they had also done a Complete Blood Count and checked my cholesterol etc. So i wanted to know those results. The Dr started off telling me about my cholesterol and that I was ok, Then all of a sudden he says "your hiv test came back reactive". I couldn't believe it I asked to read the test results and when I read it the test said "Western Blot INDETERMINATE as it only reacted to P24" I believe they did the ELISA test before doing the Western blot to confirm. Well this Dr goes on to say I am Hiv positive and treats me like im nothing. I ask to be retested because I know I don't engage in high risk behaviors such as iv-drug usage or multiple sex partners, he says "well the results are confirmed you are hiv positive but ok, we can retest and start you on antivirals." I ask if I can have a letter to take the rest of the week off while i cope and try to deal with this and he said "You can go back to work, you have to deal with this now".. He also didn't offer any sort of counseling or anything, the guy treated me like if I was an animal. I left the Dr's office devastated and told my family and my Son's mom of the results. Everyone was devastated no one could believe it. I was urged to get a second opinion immediately, so the next day I was taken to Mexico (I live in Arizona) and they ran the Elisa test again two times. From a freshly drawn blood sample. It came back negative twice!. So I came back to Arizona and picked up my medical records and results from the Dr I had been seeing, they seemed to be hesitant in giving me the paperwork. But I insisted, afterwards I took my paperwork and results to a different Dr. This new Dr told me the First results given to me by my Dr we Indeterminate or inconclusive and that they meant nothing either way (either positive or negative) And that he couldn't go by the Studies done in Mexico. So he ordered a Viral load test saying that would detect the actual virus as soon as 1-2 weeks after infection. I went to get blood drawn for the 3rd day in a row and am anxiously awaiting the results. My question is could it just be a mistake that the first Elisa test picked up the antibodies from my Chlamydia infection and that's waht caused the false-positive and indeterminate western blot? Because on 10-26-11 I had two negative ELISA HIV tests. Is there a chance I have HIV? I'm very scared and anxious. Please help me.
Fri, 13 Jun 2014
Report Abuse
Infectious Diseases Specialist 's  Response
Hi,

Welcome to HCM.

I have gone through your query and I understand your concern.
First of all, there is very less chance of ELISA results coming false positive if done by an authentic lab and by using an FDA approved brand.
Next, "indeterminate" is when the result is not clear and the test should be repeated after 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months to confirm the results.
The new Doctor is right is repeating the test. I suggest you wait for the results to be confirmed before coming to any conclusion.
The most common reasons for false positive HIV ELISA result are:
Hematological malignancies
DNA viral infections
Autoimmune diseases
Multiple myeloma
Primary biliary cirrhosis
Alcoholic hepatitis
Chronic renal failure
Steven Johnson’s syndrome
Multiple blood transfusions
Hepatitis B immunisation
Influenza vaccination
Technical error
Chlamydial infection does not cause a false positive HIV result.
I am suspecting technical error in your case.
Thanks.
I find this answer helpful

1 Doctor agrees with this answer


Note: Get personalized answers to your HIV related queries You can choose to talk face to face with your doctor. Book a Video Call now.
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Recent questions on Chlamydia infection


Loading Online Doctors....
Could An ELISA Test Show False Positive Result Due To Chlamydia Infection?

Hi, Welcome to HCM. I have gone through your query and I understand your concern. First of all, there is very less chance of ELISA results coming false positive if done by an authentic lab and by using an FDA approved brand. Next, indeterminate is when the result is not clear and the test should be repeated after 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months to confirm the results. The new Doctor is right is repeating the test. I suggest you wait for the results to be confirmed before coming to any conclusion. The most common reasons for false positive HIV ELISA result are: Hematological malignancies DNA viral infections Autoimmune diseases Multiple myeloma Primary biliary cirrhosis Alcoholic hepatitis Chronic renal failure Steven Johnson’s syndrome Multiple blood transfusions Hepatitis B immunisation Influenza vaccination Technical error Chlamydial infection does not cause a false positive HIV result. I am suspecting technical error in your case. Thanks.