HIV ELISA/Western Blot
Alternate Names : HIV Test
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What do Abnormal Results Mean?
The ELISA is used as a screening test. A positive result does not necessarily mean that the subject has HIV infection as there are certain conditions that may lead to a false positive result (eg. lyme disease, syphilis, lupus). A positive ELISA test is always followed by a confirmatory test termed Western Blot. A positive western blot is generally regarded as conclusive for an HIV infection. Negative tests do not necessarily rule out HIV infection, because there is a time interval between HIV infection and the appearance of measurable anti-HIV antibodies (the so-called "window period"). Hence, if an individual is suspected of having acute or primary HIV infection and therefore of being in the "window period", a negative HIV ELISA and Western Blot will not rule out this diagnosis. Additional testing with HIV viral load or p24 antigen testing will need to be performed.
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