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follow-up on Raynaud's phenomenon question
Aug 24, 2001
Dr. Pavia,
In one of your recent posts (Raynaud's phenomenon and antibody testing), the person asked if continued testing was required despite a negative ELISA at 6 months. You answered, "If you tested negative at 6 months you are not infected to a high degree of certainty." Wouldn't a negative ELISA at 6 months virtually guarantee infection DOES NOT exist? Why were you afraid to tell this person they are in the clear? If your concern (as a Physician on the forefront of this epidemic) is late/delayed seroconversion, then shouldn't the window period be extended to 12 months? Can the rest of us trust a 6 month test or should we continue to test as well to be more certain of our serostatus?
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Response from Dr. Pavia
By saying "with a high degree of certainty" I am trying to say that the person is not infected to the best we can reasonably be certain. It is perhaps too much "scientist speak" but the reality is that very few things are absolute. Delayed seroconversion (after 6 months) is very, very rare. Some estimates put it at less than one in 10,000. That is as close to certain as we can get. I would trust a 6 month test, if it were me.
ATP
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