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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Herpes / February 2005Question about HerpeSelect Titer test
Hello group, I have a friend and she is getting a HerpeSelect titer test to find out if she has herpes. I think she came back negative in the past with a regular test that just shows positive and negative only. Well, being that I have been intimate with her I am still concerned about getting something from her. My question is that suppose her titer comes back as negative, will she/I be able to know the exact level of the virus in her blood even if it is below the positive norm? I heard that positive is somewhere around 0.90 for the antibodies or more from lurking in this and other groups. Will her test actually show the titer level even if it is below 0.90? I would want to know this because I want to be absolutely sure I know if she has an infection. Thank you. Ernie >Hello group, Hi Ernest! >I have a friend and she is getting a HerpeSelect titer test to find out if >she has herpes. I think she came back negative in the past with a regular [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >know this because I want to be absolutely sure I know if she has an >infection. About the only thing you can know from any of the tests is Positive, Negative, and Equivocal. And occasionally, very occasionally, the results are wrong. With the Herpes Select test you should get two or three numbers back and they'll either be close enough to zero to pass as "Negative" or far enough above 0.90 or so to be called "Positive", or somewhere around or just below 0.90 and that's when you just can't be sure. Also, just because her test may return, say, 0.30, that doen't mean that there are 0.30 units of HSV antibodies in her blood, just that something in her blood registers on the test. She either harbors the HSV virus or she doesn't. A negative result, even if it's 0.30, means negative. Of course, the closer the number is to 0.90, the more you want to wonder whether it really represents "Negative" or not. But the Herpes Select is a very good test, and if your girlfriend is confident that her doctor is competent, then you should rely on the results. One small technical point: You mentioned "the virus in her blood", but in people with normal immune systems, the HSV virus isn't found in the blood. It's the antibodies that fight the virus that are found in the blood, cruising the arteries, veins, and capillaries, waiting for the HSV virus to pop out its hiding place in a nerve cell to hijack an empidermal cell. Also, one small non-technical point: Have you yourself been test for HSV? Most people who have it are unaware that they do. And just about anyone who has been kissed in their lives or have had sex with someone, have had a chance of exposure. Anyway, I hope her test comes back negative. Feel free to ask more questions as you think of them. Mike > About the only thing you can know from any of the tests is Positive, > Negative, and Equivocal. And occasionally, very occasionally, the > results are wrong. Okay than I will hope for the best. > With the Herpes Select test you should get two or three numbers back > and they'll either be close enough to zero to pass as "Negative" or > far enough above 0.90 or so to be called "Positive", or somewhere > around or just below 0.90 and that's when you just can't be sure. This is what scares me, because suppose she is just below that 0.90 or lets say somewhat lower like 0.75-0.85. Then It is possible that her body is making less antibodies this day. So even if negative, there is a presence of HSV and she has been getting some symptoms, she could still have it. She is getting a recurring rash and itching and burning once in a while. > Also, just because her test may return, say, 0.30, that doen't mean > that there are 0.30 units of HSV antibodies in her blood, just that [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > girlfriend is confident that her doctor is competent, then you > should rely on the results. So the closer to 0.90 means it is possible that she could have it but maybe at the time the test was done her antibodies were lower? > Also, one small non-technical point: Have you yourself been test > for HSV? Most people who have it are unaware that they do. And > just about anyone who has been kissed in their lives or have had sex > with someone, have had a chance of exposure. I havent been tested, maybe I should. > Anyway, I hope her test comes back negative. Feel free to ask more > questions as you think of them. Thank you. >> About the only thing you can know from any of the tests is Positive, >> Negative, and Equivocal. And occasionally, very occasionally, the >> results are wrong. >Okay than I will hope for the best. >> With the Herpes Select test you should get two or three numbers back >> and they'll either be close enough to zero to pass as "Negative" or >> far enough above 0.90 or so to be called "Positive", or somewhere >> around or just below 0.90 and that's when you just can't be sure. >This is what scares me, because suppose she is just below that 0.90 or lets >say somewhat lower like 0.75-0.85. Then It is possible that her body is >making less antibodies this day. So even if negative, there is a presence >of HSV and she has been getting some symptoms, she could still have it. She >is getting a recurring rash and itching and burning once in a while. I think it's fairly rare to end up in the equivocal range. There was someone here recently who appeared to be in that range, but he was the first one, that I can remember. All you can say about the equivocal range, unless you have other evidence, of course, is that you can't really make assumptions either way. It does no good to try to second quess it. The Herpes Select test is a very, very good test, but the thing that it tries to do is a very, very complicated and picky thing. It's like trying to find the smallest needles in the biggest haystack you ever saw, blindfolded, and with gloves on. Some of the things you wind up touching, you just can't be sure about. Maybe they're needles, but maybe they're toothpiks. ;-) >> Also, just because her test may return, say, 0.30, that doen't mean >> that there are 0.30 units of HSV antibodies in her blood, just that [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >> girlfriend is confident that her doctor is competent, then you >> should rely on the results. >So the closer to 0.90 means it is possible that she could have it but maybe >at the time the test was done her antibodies were lower? Well, maybe, but I don't think HSV antibody levels in the typical adult fluctuate all that much. The levels may rise during an outbreak, but I don't think they necessarily fall into the equivocal range between outbreaks. There is always, or frequently, some small amount of viral activity going on, continually stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies at a sufficient level to return results in the positive range. The blood tests would not be nearly as reliable as they are if antibody levels reduced to 'equivocal' between outbreaks. >> Also, one small non-technical point: Have you yourself been test >> for HSV? Most people who have it are unaware that they do. And >> just about anyone who has been kissed in their lives or have had sex >> with someone, have had a chance of exposure. >I havent been tested, maybe I should. Yes, definitely you should. Lots of people play host to the HSV virus and show no symptoms of it, but are still capable of transmitting the disease to others. If you don't have yourself tested, you won't know if you already have it, and the first time you sleep with your girlfriend again will invalidate any test she's having now (providing her results are negative.) Her status will become 'unknown' again. Besides, it's in the spirit of mutual respect and sharing. Take care, Mike >I have a friend and she is getting a HerpeSelect titer test to find out if >she has herpes. Good for her. The HerpesSelect IGG blood test is considered a pretty accurate test. >I think she came back negative in the past with a regular >test that just shows positive and negative only. What sort of "regular" test? As I mentioned, the newer regular blood tests are considered accurate. The regular "culture" type tests often result in false negatives.. Positives are accurate though. >Well, being that I have >been intimate with her I am still concerned about getting something from >her. I recommend you have a HerpesSelect done too. Otherwise, you have no way of knowing what your herpes status is currently. 80%-90% of people with herpes have no clue they have it. And lack of symptoms are not an indicator. >My question is that suppose her titer comes back as negative, will >she/I be able to know the exact level of the virus in her blood even if it >is below the positive norm? You mean "antibodies". There will be no herpes virus in her blood. It's not a blood born virus. >I would want to >know this because I want to be absolutely sure I know if she has an >infection. Occasionally a test result will come back as inconclusive. Probably though, she'll have a definite result.. Again, I encourage you to get a test too. Nothing like knowing your own status for sure. And even if she ends up positive and you negative, that doesn't mean you're doomed to infection. There are plenty of discordant couples in the world. In fact, you'd have a better shot at remaining uninfected with her than taking your chances with new partners that have no clue about their status. One in five people over age 12 in the US are infected with type 2. And that stat is several years old. It's probably higher than that by now. There are several things that can be done to reduce the risk of transmission. Suppression and condoms are the proven methods most effective. And of course, no sex during outbreaks. M2 |
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