HIV – P24 Antigen:
Why HIV P24 Antigen Test?
CLINICAL INFORMATION
HIV is a Human Immunodeficiency Virus and is a sexually transmitted infection. It attacks the body’s immune system (destroys the WBCs – especially the T helper cell also known as CD4 cell since HIV replicates within it) and severely weakens the body’s immunity. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome is a set of symptoms), which is potentially a life-threatening condition. HIV is caused by sexual contact(s), sex workers, multiple sex partners, blood transfusions, sharing needles, vertical transmission, childbirth (parturition), breastfeeding, oral sex, organ transplant, tattoo etc. clinical manifestations include recurring fever, headache, muscle ache and joint pain, rash, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, cough, painful mouth ulcers, blotches on the skin (mouth, nose, eyelid etc), ulcers in genitals and anus, oral thrush (candidiasis), chronic diarrhea, weight loss, weakness, night sweats, pneumonia, Kaposi’s sarcoma etc. Some of the complications include liver (especially in hepatitis patients) and kidney diseases (HIV-Associated Nephropathy), neurological complications (HIV-Associated Neuro-cognitive Disorders: HAND) and mental disorders, wasting syndrome (resulting due to significant weight loss), a surge of opportunistic infections, HIV-1 Super-infection, long term inflammation etc. Diagnosis is performed by HIV tests like antigen or antibody test, nucleic acid test etc. p24Antigen are major HIV proteins (also called protein 24 or gag protein) can be detected even before the anti-HIV antibodies. Thus the advantage of detecting p24 in blood sample specimens are of significant importance in blood donors with accidental initial exposure to an HIV infection. At the initial exposure of HIV infection, the levels of p24 antigen are at a very high level from approximately day 10 to 1 month (since the onset of an infection).
p24 antigen test checks for HIV antigen called p24 in the suspected patient’s blood. A positive result for p24 suggests newly infected cases of HIV, thus it helps in detecting primary HIV infection. HIV tests include antigen/antibody combination immunoassay test, differential immunoassay, ELISA Test (Monoclonal antibody test), PCR (p24 gag gene) etc. Other additional tests include viral load test, CD4 Count, Drug-Resistant Testing etc.
General Instructions:
Sample Requirement: Specimen - Blood sample collected from the vein. Test Preparation: None.
NOTE - Sample for specimen collections may vary based on the patient’s condition/cases according to the patient’s presenting complaints/signs or symptoms:
SPECIMEN REQUIREMENT (Special or Rare Cases) - As instructed and guided by Physician / Clinician / Pathologist / as per Laboratory’s requirements, according to procedures and protocols.
This Multi-Specialty Clinical Referral Laboratory RT DIAGNOSTICS provides precise and accurate tests with an extensive range of testing services to the medical centres to help in the diagnosis and identification of pathology in the test specimens for infectious diseases and also to evaluate the function of organ systems of the patient. It prevents further complications and helps to stabilize and restore health to near normalcy at the earliest without delay.
