DECEMBER IS AIDS AWARENESS MONTH Yiannoukas Medical Labs will offer for DECEMBER 2014: HIV COMBO BLOOD TEST (Antibodies & p24 Antigen): only €25.00 There are a number of technologies that detect HIV itself. However, at this time, these tests are not offered uniformly throughout Canada or within provinces and territories. It is important to do some research and find out which testing services are available for your clients to help ensure effective messaging for someone who thinks they have recently been exposed to HIV. The two most commonly used tests that detect HIV directly are the p24 antigen test and the HIV nucleic acid amplification test (NAT). The HIV p24 antigen test The HIV p24 antigen test, the most widely available of the two, is designed to detect a protein (the p24 protein) associated with HIV. The p24 antigen test can detect the p24 protein on average 10 to 14 days after infection with HIV.One drawback of this test is that levels of the p24 protein peak at around three to four weeks after exposure to HIV and are usually not detectable after five to six weeks (and sometimes even earlier). A positive p24 test means that someone is HIV-positive. Currently, the most advanced tests combine a p24 antigen test and an antibody test. While combination tests are available in some regions across Canada, they are not yet available everywhere. These tests are seen as beneficial because they combine the early detection abilities of the p24 antigen test with the accuracy of the newer antibody tests. It should be noted that a rapid (point-of-care) version of these tests is not yet available. The HIV NAT test The HIV NAT test is a very sensitive test designed to detect HIV RNA in blood. RNA is the viral equivalent to human DNA. The NAT test is able to detect HIV RNA as early as seven to 14 days after infection with HIV. When are p24 antigen tests and HIV NAT tests used? In places where p24 antigen tests or HIV NAT tests are available, these tests are often used for individuals who have recently had a high-risk exposure and are either (a) in the three-month window period of the antibody test, or (b) experiencing symptoms of a new HIV infection (most often flu-like symptoms, including a fever, diarrhea, rash and/or sore throat). The p24 antigen test is also used when indeterminate results are obtained from an HIV antibody test (the test couldn’t give a clear answer). Kyriacos Yiannouka BSc MSc FIBMS
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 05:57:11 +0000
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