A patient develops hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy following sexual contact, 3 weeks back. The best test to rule out HIV infection is :
Ans. is 'c' P24 Ag. "Antibodies to HIV usually appear within 6 weeks and almost invariably within 12 weeks of primary infection." - Harrison,15/eDetection of these Antibodies forms the basis of most diagnostic screening tests for HIV infection. Such as ELISA & Western blot test.In the question the patient is giving H/O sexual contact just 3 weeks back. So there is strong probability of that Antibodies might not have developed against HIV. Now the diagnosis of HIV in this patient depends upon the direct detection of HIV or one of its components.The simplest of the direct detection test is the p24 Antigen Capture Assay.
ELISA
Western blot
P24Ag
Lymph node biopsy
Infection