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Virus Trapped in Lympatic System
#38580 - 08/21/02 11:02 AM
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Dear all, I have a question regarding testing. I have tested -ve on Elisa out to 6 months plus -ve on PCR viral load. However I continue to have swollen glands all over. Does anyone know whether it is possible for the virus to be contained in the lymphatic system and thus not detectable on blood based tests. Is there anyone else out there in my position - i.e -ve on all tests but continues to have swollen glands? I want to believe the results but these glands onlt started to swell after unprotected sex and show no sign of going down. I have been tested for loads of other things as well and everything comes back -ve.
Any comments/help is appreciated
Thx
Rob
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If the virus is anywhere in your system you will have a positive result on tests even if there was a posability that it could be confined to your lymph system. You would still test positive. A negitive test at 6mo is conclusive, you are negitive.
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PROF EGGHEAD
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Unregistered
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Hello,you sound very,very familar,hmmmm.
well,actually you are partly correct.you see there is a certain "type"of hiv,that circulates within hiv itself,
that actually prefers to get into the lymphnodes,and just sit there.BUT IT IS NEVER ALONE,AND IS CARRIED BY THE TYPE OF HIV,WHICH IS DETECTED BY THE SEROLOGY TEST.
so your kind of half right half wrong.so the test will still be positive,regardless.PROF.
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Rob,
If you tested Negative at six months you are fine, the Prof statement is wrong!. So god bless and take care.
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Even if it was possible that the VIRUS could be and was "contained" or "hiding" in the lymph system, the elisa test doesn't look for the "virus" to begin with, Now does it?
NO. It looks for the antibodies.
Sure the PCR looks for the virus but you had both which would cover any of your concerns.
Even Paula and Randy couldn't argue that point. I think you all do a fantastic job but that was just a bloody awful response.
Simon
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HIV doesn't hide in the lymph nodes. It rests. Prof. Egghead is correct in that you will find HIV in the blood before you find it in the lymph nodes.
It's a matter of understanding the virus and how the body fights it. Simply put:
When the virus first enters the body, it starts to multiple at a very fast rate. At some point it slows production, but is still reproducting in the body. That's what the set point is.
I know you don't know what the set point is. During acute infection the viral load rises rapidly say 30,000. After Acute infection the viral load drops down by itself to say 5000. This is known as the set point. It's during this period of acute infection that antibodies are developed by the body to try and fight the virus. The viral load drops because the antibodies have some success at fighting the virus. How low the viral load drops gives a doctor an indication of how well the body can try to fight it off by itself and an indication of how the disease will progress in a certain person. A higher set point, means the body is less likely to control the virus. This happens in EVERYONE that is infected. That's why the ELISA looks for antibodies.
Now some of the virus does enter the lymph nodes. It is in a resting state. For a person that is trying to find out if they are infected, it doesn't mean a thing.
It's only important in the fact that science hasn't figured out yet how to get to the resting virus. They thought at one time if a person was on antiretrovirals for a long period and showed undectable that the virus could be wiped out.
Then they discovered that even if a person is undectable they still have the virus in the lymph nodes. Meaning that if a person went off medication, the resting virus was still moving to the blood stream and reproducing and the viral load would start to climb again.
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Actually a 3 month test is conclusive. A six month test is just confirmatory for worry warts such as myself. You are fine. No HIV here, no worries!! hugs!!
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