IgG False Positive

[wonderingalot]

I have just started dating 3 years after my wife died. With my wife, I had once or twice noticed 10 years ago seen some very tiny blisters. Not very bothersome and went away pretty fast. It may have recurred a half dozen times total but always the same way… after a long flight on a plane. My wife was a doc and thought they were more dermatitis. She also said it didn’t matter in any event (which was right). So, since I needed a better answer as I started dating someone where it may matter, I got tested to get the answer before we got physically involved. The HSV2 test (IgG) was 2.2, which I have read falls into a possible false positive range. The HSV1 test was positive as well, which seems to be a common factor in false HSV2 positives. I was not sure whether false positives in this range are a mater of time., i.e. is it less likely that my test is a false positive since I have not had any sex in 3.5 years than say someone who recently contracted the virus? In any event, would love your thoughts on whether this could be a false positive and whether having a more precise test run makes sense. Not sure it changes the management a lot (given the blister history, since that could equally be HSV1) but knowing I suppose is better than not knowing.

[Terri Warren]

Your 2.2 index value is indeed a low positive, and at that particular index value, there is about a 50-50 chance that this is a true positive. I would strongly recommend a herpes western blot to clarify this – our office can arrange for that to be drawn at a lab near where you are if you wish to do it. It cannot be ordered through regular laboratory channels. the western blot looks for both HSV 1 and HSV 2. You have certainly waited long enough for an accurate answer. We used to think that HSV 1 positivity was a factor in false positive HSV 2 results, but we have research now indicating this is not the case. I think it is very important to sort out HSV 1 from HSV 2 as they are very different infections in the genital area. Please let me know what else I can do to help you.

Terri

[wonderingalot]

Thanks for getting back to me. What do you need to do to arrange a test? I know the Quest Lab in Horsham PA has the Western Blot as one of its tests codes, so it seems I would just need a script for a test. That said, I read another blog which showed some crazy steps one had to go through to actually get the blood to you. So I’d like to get the test… just tell me what I need to do.

BTW, your site is very informative and has made this unfortunate diagnosis a bit easier to handle. Thanks for what you do.

[wonderingalot]

Realized I can just call your office so I will do that and figure this testing thing out. I do have a follow-up question. Since I was a kid, I got canker sores all the time. I don’t think they were cold sores since they were never outside the mouth. They were always buried deep in the gum and in the back of the throat. Major league pain. Stress/lack of sleep is the major trigger. The other is any injury. If I bite my lip, I am guaranteed a blister. Lysine has helped a lot. That said, I know I am positive for HSV1 and, as seems to be typical with HSV, it is a sneaky thing and can sometimes (but it seems rarely) present inside the mouth. If I am going to be safe with a partner, do I have to wait out every canker sore episode? (I guess the answer is yes and that makes becoming a monk very attractive.) I also read that HSV1 can actually trigger canker sores as opposed to cold sores. Is that true? I began taking Valtrex and am wondering if this may reduce my canker sore episodes. Last, have you seen any success with Red Marine Algae? Amazon users who buy it seem to swear by it.

[Terri Warren]

Yes, I believe we spoke yesterday. Canker sores in the mouth are not cold sores and are not caused by herpes simplex virus. As we discussed, I doubt there is harm in red marine algae, but we do not have enough scientific evidence to recommend this. when double blind placebo controlled trials show a benefit, then I’ll recommend but not until and I don’t see those trials on the horizon – I could be wrong about that.

Terri

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