Hsv false positive?

[better2k17]

Hello, I am currently a 21 year old male student. I got a full std panel at the age of 18 in Dec 2015. I had only been sexually active for 5 weeks before that. I got the results – positive for chlamydia (which I have since been treated for) and positive for IgG HSV 1 and 2 (IgG value for hsv 1 was >62.5 and value for Hsv 2 was 7.02). I had cold sores several times in the past (my whole family has as well) , but before and since then have had absolutely no signs of Genital infection. Before Dec 2015, I had only been with two women. The first women I had sex with only once and we wore a condom. The second I had only engaged in intercourses with a few times a couple weeks before my test (the first time I had sex with her was exactly 3 weeks before test). I noticed the incredibly high values for hsv 1 (higher than I’ve ever seen). This was done using Labcorp. I tested again at Arthur Ashe center at UCLA FOUR times between may of 2016 and March of 2017, and tested values of 7-9 for IgG hsv 1 and ALL negative for HSV 2. Those values of 7-9 seem far more within the range of normalcy for positive , and I again have had no symptoms nor has any partner since noticed anything with herpes (in the genital region or any region for that matter). I also have not asked anyone to get officially tested either. I would really, really like to know what happened with the first test in dec 2015 and why the hsv 2 result was so high, because at this point I’m pretty sure it was a false positive. Again to confirm, all the tests I received at UCLA were all “Type specific IgG Hsv 1 + 2” and I got it four times, all saying positive for hsv 1 (I already knew that from years of symptoms) and negative for hsv 2. They I believe were run through quest diagnosis (the lab UCLA uses for herpes). Please help me understand. Thank you!

[better2k17]

To reiterate, I have had cold sores for years, and had engaged in no sexual activity whatsoever until early November 2015. I have also had chickenpox when I was young and moloscum contagium rash when I was about 15, to give you the full details.

[Terri Warren]

It sounds like that was clearly a false positive for HSV 2, given your history and subsequent negatives for HSV 2. Different brands of tests have different ranges for their test values so for one test brand we might see index values of >50 while in others, far lower. That’s just a difference in brands of the test. I think it’s OK just to forget about the first test and if you can’t, then get a herpes western blot. I would trust the negatives, given everything subsequently and prior to that test.

Terri

[better2k17]

Do you have an explanation to why it was such a high positive and still a false one? From what I’ve seen, most doctor have a cutoff value for 3.5 when it comes to HSV IgG tests, so how could a 7.02 be a false positive also when it’s so outside that range. I would just like to understand the reasons behind the high false positive to get some closure. Again, the 7.02 was my IgG HSV 2 value done by LabCorp in Dec 2015. I was also very sick at the time of the test with strep and general unwellness.

[Terri Warren]

I really don’t understand that value unless there was some mixup in samples but then again I guess there could’ve been a mixup in the sample giving a negative value as well. You may wish to do one more test and make sure that one it’s negative before moving on from this issue. I just think that the sexual history describe does not fit with a true positive antibody test for HSV-2 five weeks after your first intercourse that was protected.

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Terri

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