Dear Dr. Holodniy:

I have been written to you for the last 7 months. During the past 7 months, I'd been tested numerous ELISAs (both HIV-1 and HIV-2), 3 Roche Ultraquant <50 copies (1st one at 3 mons and last one at 7 mons), 1bDNA at 4 mons, 1 DNA PCR at 6 mons, 2 western blot (both HIV-1 and 2) at 5 mons, 1 HTLV-1 and 1 HTLV-2 PCR at 5 mons, syphllis, HCV, CMV, Epstein Barr, Sydrone, and 2 T-cells tests. All of them are negative, except for Epstein Barr. My doctor said not to worry about the Epstein Barr and so you said in previous message. My last Elisas were at almost 9 mons after exposure and are negative.

My Epstein Barr is as follows:

Results Reference

EBNA IGG 178 HIGH AU Negative=<20

EBV VCA IGG >170 HIGH AU Negative=<20

EBV EA IGG POS HIGH Negative

EBV EA IGG Titer 1:20 HIGH titer <1:10

The 2 T-cell panel I took was in Jan 1999 and June 1999, with results: CD4/CD8 ratio from 0.9 to 1.1 (slightly low still), Direct Lymph count drops from 2923 to 1850, CD4 drops from 965 to 670, CD8 drops from 1023 to 595.

Questions:

1) I've been having this strange "fever," ranging from a low of 98.9 to a high of 99.8 for the last 7 months. Mostly, it is around 99.0-99.2. It usually starts around noon and last through the afternoon but subsides in the evening. DO YOU THINK THE EPSTEIN BARR RESULTS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS STRANGE TEMPERATURE???

2) WOULD YOU BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHANGES IN MY T-CELLS RESULTS???

3) I am ready to put this whole nightmare behind me and start a new life. Before this happens, I want to have a last thorough tests, including one of each of the following: Chiron bDNA, DNA PCR, RNA PCR Ultraquant, ELISAs, Western Blots. For my case (9 MONTHS AFTER EXPOSURE), COULD YOU PLEASE RANK THE ABOVE TESTS IN ASCENDING ORDER IN TERMS OF ACCURACY????

4) Should I do a p-24 antigens test? This is the only one I have never been tested before.

I appologize for the length of this message, You are a life-savers of all of us "worried-well." I shall forever remember the name Dr. Mark Holodniy!!! THANK YOU

James

1. Possibly. Our temps have a natural range between 97-99, the lowest in the morning and the highest in late afternoon evening.

2.NO. There is a natural variation of these as well.

3.I don't think you need anymore tests.

MH