[Guest]

Are there any other blood tests that can indicate the presence of HIV or other autoimmune disorders other than the standard HIV tests? In other words, if a person had a large battery of blood tests run for a reason other than HIV/AIDS testing, would it be possible for some other test to reveal the presence of the disease?

[Guest]

the tests that are done in commercial labs to assess for hiv are:
elisa (antibody test)
western blot (antibody done after positive or indeterminant elisa)
viral load by pcr
viral load by bdna (both measure presence of the virus)
and P24 antigen (a protein on th virus surface)
GR
[quote] Are there any other blood tests that can indicate the presence of HIV or other autoimmune disorders other than the standard HIV tests. In other words, if a person had a large battery of blood tests run for a reason other than HIV/AIDS testing, would it be possible for some other test to reveal the presence of the disease... [/quote]

[Guest]

I saw some lab results from a huge battery of pre-surgical blood tests I had a few years ago (because of history of blood clots) and one of the values had an asterisk with a statement to the effect of "found in AIDS, ARC or other autoimmune disorders" My doctor never told me about this-I saw it when transferring medical records. (Never should have looked in the file!) Anyway, I know that statement is vague but I wonder what test resulted in that statement and if I should take it as an indicator that I have AIDS but since it said "or other autoimmune disorders" and the doctor never told me about it, I dismissed it. It has been bothering me ever since, however. Would the commonality between AIDS and other autoimmune disorders be the CD4 count? Wouldn't a doctor have to inform a patient of a suspicious finding? I was told my blood work was fine.
[quote] the tests that are done in commercial labs to assess for hiv are:
elisa (antibody test)
western blot (antibody done after positive or indeterminant elisa)
viral load by pcr
viral load by bdna (both measure presence of the virus)
and P24 antigen (a protein on th virus surface)
GR
[quote] Are there any other blood tests that can indicate the presence of HIV or other autoimmune disorders other than the standard HIV tests. In other words, if a person had a large battery of blood tests run for a reason other than HIV/AIDS testing, would it be possible for some other test to reveal the presence of the disease... [/quote]

[Guest]

It's impossible for me to give you meaningful, specific help without seeing the test. There are many tests that are elevated or suppressed in hiv/aids that are non specific. For instance:
Platelets are often down in hiv positives
Total serum protein is often elevated
White blood cells are often down
Triglycerides are often elevated
Odd and esoteric markers of immune activation are up and down.
All of these things are seen in uninfected healthy people and in people with other illnesses. Trying to diagnose illness from these secondary tests is like reading tea leaves.
We diagnose hiv with an elisa. Stick with that.
GR
[quote] I saw some lab results from a huge battery of pre-surgical blood tests I had a few years ago (because of history of blood clots) and one of the values had an asterisk with a statement to the effect of "found in AIDS, ARC or other autoimmune disorders" My doctor never told me about this-I saw it when transferring medical records. (Never should have looked in the file... [/quote]