4 negative Igg

[cyn65]

Hi Terri,
I have told you parts of my story before, but I don’t think I had the nerve to actually ask my question. I developed a rash called “dermatitis herpetiformis”(because it looks like herpes.) it was diagnosed by tissue samples and it identified hsv2 as well. I had never had an ob to my knowledge (I am over 50). the dr said my rash wasn’t herpes, just dormant cells. That was about 15 years ago. 8 years ago I went to Quest for an Igg which came back absolutely negative. I went to quest three more times over the last 8 years, the last time being last week. Negative every time.I have my western blot sitting right next to me on my desk but I’m scared to do it. I can’t imagine through all of these tests it missed any trace of antibodies. At the same time I know a tissue sample (was not liquid)is confirming. I guess I think it would help me to know how it turned out to be positive so I can be ready. I’ve never taken antivirals.

[cyn65]

I mean in case the blot does turn out to be positive.

[cyn65]

I’ve sometimes wondered if the tissue error, or if there was a tissue error, that it occurred because my rash looks like herpes.

[cyn65]

Hi Terri,
I just read that quests ab type specific reflex with inhibition is considered a confirmatory test.
I had a less than 0.90 result for both type one and type 2. It looks like that specific test might just have been for type two. Thanks again.

[cyn65]

Sorry, I forgot to finish my question. Do you agree?

[Terri Warren]

I think you should believe the result that you are not infected. There had be some sort of tissue sample error there, I think. Did you do a blot?

Terri

• This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by Terri Warren.

[cyn65]

Hi Terri, thank you so much! It’s going to take me some time to absorb that my negative IgG‘s are real. Did you evaluate me as negative because of the number of tests I did or because I had the inhibitory Assay? Just curious.
I didn’t do the blot because I was always afraid it was going to contradict my negative results. I can accept my result the way it is, correct?

Thank you!

[Terri Warren]

In reviewing my response to you, I probably should not have been quite so adamant that you are negative. Though I certainly think you are, based on all those negative IgG tests, I think a western blot would be a good idea after all. Just to be 100% certain. Please do it.
I just can’t understand, from your description, how a tissue sample would be able to diagnose not only HSV but type it as well. If you said you had a swab test done, then I would feel differently about it, but a tissue sample, like a biopsy would be difficult to type HSV 1 or 2.

Terri

[cyn65]

Hi Terri,
You suggested I get the western blot to finally clear up my 4 negative iggs. Before doing that, I retrieved my path report from the dermatologist. I was glad they still had it. The test was

Test (1)culture hsv rapid w typ:

! specimen source (L) cheeck
!hsv culture. none isolated
! hsv type 2 <did not report>(X)
! hsv type 1 <did not report>(X)

I didn’t remember it being a culture at the time. At the time I was told I was positive for type 2 and negative for type one. That was clearly an error because this shows same for both, either both negative or both positive. I don’t know if it matters but I had no rash on my cheeck. Is this a negative or positive culture for both, or something else?

Thanks so much Terri

[Terri Warren]

It appears that the culture was negative for both. I have no idea why you were told that you had HSV 2. Was there any blood testing done?

Terri

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