we tested positive , me and my husband, we live in the US, we think that we had been infected for around one years, as we both had acute symptomes a year ago, just after my husban returne from a business trip to congo (Africa) where he had relationship with sex weoker there, we tested both positive by elisa and western blot at the time of our acute symptomes. my cd4 are around 700 % 43, his are around 400,

since our diagnosis, we both have undectable viral load (amplicor 1.5 with 48 copie detection limit), without any medication, I had DNA PCR qualitative, wich where negative, doc said that we both are elite controllers, but I think that the propability that we both are are tiny, also as we both are very tired all the time with always sick face and generalised lymphadenopathy, so I think we have rather a high viral loads but only not showing on the PCR. Could we both are elite controlers, or the odds are much that we have an african virus, that is not showing on PCR amplicor...if so how can we monitor our viral load. thnaks

You raise a good point as to whether the test is actually detecting virus or not. Given the HIV western blot results, you both appear to be HIV infected. I assume these were HIV-1 tests. Was HIV-2 infection tested for? Elite control is associated with the type of virus received and the underlying immune system of the person. It would seem unlikely you both would be in this situation, given your immune systems would be different, but the virus could be the same. Although there could be some reflection of this given the difference in CD4 counts between you and your husband. Although the amplicor test should cover such HIV-1 strains, it would be useful to have the HIV-1 viral load tested again with another brand of PCR test (Abbott) or a different technology like bDNA (Siemens). I would also check HIV-2 screening and western blot test.