Greetings everyone! IgG index value

[StayStrongOk]

Hello everyone. Hope everyone is doing okay with their life. I am from Malaysia. I have done 2 blood tests for HSV1 & HSV2. Both are type specific IgG test. I would like to share my results:

My first test

Done after 7 weeks of last exposure.

*Herpes Simplex Type I IgG : 1.52 (Negative <0.90

 Equivocal 0.90-0.99
 Positive >=1.00)
*Herpes Simplex Type II IgG : 1.34 (Negative <0.90
 Equivocal 0.90-0.99
 Positive >=1.00)

My second test

Done after 14 weeks of last exposure. This test was done in a different lab compared to the first test.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type I lgG   Reactive

Elisa value of HSV type 1 lgG    405.6 U/mL

Non-reactive <6.0

 

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 lgG    Non-Reactive

Elisa value of HSV type 2 lgG    0.6 U/mL

Non-reactive <5.0

 

I also have a question if anyone is interested to answer. My first test has the result in the form of index value which is pretty much standard to everywhere I see on the net. As my first result has yielded a low positive index values, that was the reason I repeated the test.

However my second test is in the unit of U/mL which I can't find on the net. Does anyone knows how to convert from this unit to the standard index value?

Thanks for reading.

[StayStrongOk]

I have not had any typical HSV1 or HSV2 breakout. No visible lesion or feeling of pain for oral/genitals. So a swab testing is not possible yet.

[WilsoInAus]

Hey @StayStrongOk I think we can help here.

Your first test looks to be an ELISA test as well. It does however have just one control colour well on the testing kit, similar to a Herpeselect. The colouring of your well is compared to the control well and expressed as a ratio (being the colour density ratio). The deeper the colour of the well, the more antibodies have stuck to the antigen in the well.

The values of this test are low positive and have little diagnostic value 

I think your second test is actually a better one. I suspect it is a Euroimmun or similar test. The Euroimmun has three control colour wells at levels that are deemed 2 U/ml, 20 U/ml and 200 U/ml. Your well is compared to the three controls and a value estimated relative to these points. 20-25 U/ml is considered positive in the Euroimmun. In essence you can divide these values by 20 to put them on a similar ratio as a Herpeselect, but there's no real need to do this. 

Your test looks to be similar to Euroiummun although has 5/6 as the cutoff so its probably some similar type test. Hence dividing by 5/6 might give you a similar ratio to your first test.

Your second test is conclusive. You have HSV-1 little question, most probably an oral infection from before living memory as a child. You do not have HSV-2, that is a clear negative. 

Your low positive in the first test looks to have been caused by rogue proteins that simply stick to the testing well. A suspicion is also that HSV-1 antibodies can sometimes stick as well as a form of cross reaction.

[StayStrongOk]

Hello @WilsoInAus. Thanks a lot for the reply. Really appreciate.

Looks like the HSV1 antibody detection value is kind of very high based on the second test. Not sure why I never got any outbreak. Never had history of cold sores as well.

I went to a doctor for consultation after my first test and was prescribed Acyclovir. I better start taking them now.

Stay strong and stay safe everyone. Thanks again.

[WilsoInAus]

Hey @StayStrongOk up to 40-50% of adults with HSV-1 have no real living memory of a cold sore; their immune systems operate that well and it just lies dormant.

You are clearly one of these people and as such there is no real need to take acyclovir for such a latent oral infection.