Question

This virtual lab was testing for lupus. How is this same test used to test for the presence of HIV? If the results for an HIV test were the same as in this exercise, what would they indicate about the three patients?

3 Patient Results:

Patient A was likely to have SLE

Patient B might have SLE but further testing is required

Patient C Probably does not have SLE

Answer 1

HIV infection can mimic the presentation of autoimmune disorders, although there have been various conflicting reports on how exactly HIV infection affects the course and prognosis of diseases like SLE. There are reports with a HIV positive case presenting features simulating SLE.

So, in this case :-

Patient A - must undergo investigation for HIV to rule out retroviruses infection and is it's negative then further testing for SLE .

Patient B - should undergo further testing of SLE and HIV.

Patient C - should test for HIV.