immunosuppressive hiv problems
Hello, I would like to ask: For individuals who are taking long-term, high-dose glucocorticoids (such as Dexamethasone, Prednisone, Prednisolone, etc.) or immunosuppressants (like those used for organ transplant surgery), regardless of whether they have stopped the medication or not, if they become infected with HIV, will their antibody levels, for various reasons, only produce and maintain a weak positive level (lasting for more than half a year), rather than gradually reaching a strong positive like normal individuals? Or, is the so-called effect merely a slight influence on the window period, without affecting the final antibody level? Thank you!
Hi
. I need to note that we are not medical professionals and, for your protection cannot offer medical advice. It is known that severe immune system suppression, such as with advanced cases of HIV disease can create false-negative HIV rapid test results (see: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9945762). There is also some evidence that high levels of prednisone may cause an antibody test longer to show positive results (see: https://myhho.org/does-prednisone-affect-sti-blood-tests). You would need to speak to a doctor to find out if a specific immunosuppressant therapy could impact a particular type of HIV test and what test might be available that would not be impacted. Hope you can get some answers soon. Best, Richard (Team Member)
