HIV-1/2 ANTIGEN & ANTIBODIES, 4TH GENERATION with REFLEXES

HIV1.2 AG.A8,4 W.RFL; HIV, 4TH GENERATION; HIV-1.2 Antigen and Antibodies, Fourth Generation, With Reflexes; Fourth Generation HIV; 4th Generation HIV

HIV-1/2 Antigen and Antibodies, Fourth Generation, with Reflexes - This test is used to help diagnose HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection, including acute infection, and to differentiate HIV-1 from HIV-2. Fourth-generation tests detect two factors in the blood: HIV antibodies and p24 antigens.

When a person contracts HIV, the immune system starts to produce HIV antibodies. This is the body’s method of fighting the virus.

The immune system produces these antibodies in response to p24 antigens. P24 antigens are a part of the virus, and research indicates that they tend to appear within 2 weeks of HIV entering the body. A fourth-generation test can reliably detect HIV as soon as 1 month after a person contracts it.

Fourth-generation HIV tests are different from third-generation tests, which can only detect HIV antibodies. It detect both HIV antibodies and p24 antigens. This allows them to identify the virus sooner than the earlier tests.

Fourth-generation tests can detect the virus before the immune system starts producing HIV antibodies. This is because p24 antigens appear before HIV antibodies.