What Kind Of Viral Test Can Detect A Very Small Viral Load

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Viral Load Tests

What Is Viral Load? How Is the Test Used? How Are Changes in Viral Load Measured? Viral Load "Blips" What Do the Numbers Mean? Are There Problems With the Viral Load Test? What Is Viral Load? The viral load test measures the amount of HIV virus in your blood. There are different techniques for doing this: The PCR ( p olymerase c hain r eaction) method uses an enzyme to multiply the HIV in the blood sample. Then a...

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Amplicor viral load test - all subtypes detected?

Dear Doctor Holodniy,Does the HIV viral load by Amplicor detect most subtypes of HIV-l? Also, do the various subtypes all share the same basic or core RNA/DNA sequence with only minor extremity differences? If so, I would assume the Amplicor detects...

Response from Mark Holodniy, M.D., F.A.C.P., C.I.C.

Stanford University, School of Medicine

The main problems with detection/quantitation have been with subtype A and group O. A new version of the test will be out shortly that can detect these groups. There are indeed small differences between these and other strains.MH... Read more »

Stocrin resistance ? Viral load detectable ?

I am coming again, if i did't take any kind of ARV(neither Stocrin ,neither Combivir, the ARV i was taking for long years , 8 years) for 2 months and i was for long years undetectable(8 years) and with a god CD4(>400) and after the break i...

Response from Keith Henry, M.D.

University of Minnesota, School of Medicine

Most patients who stop a Stocrine (efavirenz) based regimen when doing well will do OK if placed on an efavirenz regimen again but there is a risk for resistance development when efavirenz is stopped (I have seen it on our own clinic) if all meds... Read more »

steady, yet detectable viral load

I tested HIV+ in 1987 and remainded med-free until February of this year (2008) when my CD4 dropped to 182 and my viral load climbed to 30,000 after a bout of neurosyphilis 2 years previous. After only two weeks on the Truvada/Viramune combo, my...

Response from Renslow Sherer, M.D.

University of Chicago Hospitals

My answer is two fold. First, regarding the test results, I think you are probably OK, there is only a small difference between <50 and 60, and there is considerable variation in the performance of the viral load test. I do agree with your doctor... Read more »

Detectable viral load

I just got back my most recent blood test and for the first time since I have started taking meds (over 1.5 years ago), I've gone from undetectable to having a VL of 65, which is just barely above 50, but I am wondering if it is something to...

Response from David Wohl, M.D.

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

This slight increase in your viral load above 50 copies/mL may just be what we call a 'blip'. That is a small rise in viral load followed by a return to less than 50. This is very common. In fact, if there was such thing as continuous... Read more »

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DNA PCR Vs Viral Load test

Posted by sunkyst, 1 Reply

Does anyone know the difference between a HIV DNA PCR test versus a viral load test that's performed on someone already confirmed positive, obviously one is about detecting the virus and the other how much but are the methods used essentially the... Read more »

VIRAL LOAD TESTS VS ELISA

Posted by bura, 2 Replies

"The test can be used for diagnosis, because it can detect a viral load a few days after HIV infection. This is better than the standard HIV (antibody) test, which can be "negative" for 2 to 6 months after HIV infection." If the antibody test can be... Read more »

The Failure of Viral Load Tests

Posted by Anonymous, 2 Replies

The Failure of Viral Load Tests
JAMA Study Shakes AIDS Science, Angers HIV Advocates

A nationwide team of orthodox AIDS researchers led by doctors Benigno Rodriguez and Michael Lederman of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland are disputing the... Read more »

Help me make sense of these results if you can - low viral load

Posted by Souledout, 5 Replies

Hi, I tested positive on 18th september. Massive shock all round and then the usual route of worry, stress and then acceptance. Great support from my friends and partner which has helped a great deal.

My doctor thinks my infection was in the last 3... Read more »

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