2023-06-22 08:11:20
by Laura Cuppini
An American study has shown a correlation between Sars-CoV-2 infection and an increase in false positivity to the AIDS virus
Is it possible to test falsely positive for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the AIDS virus, during acute Sars-CoV-2 infection? The answer proves it a study published in the scientific journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Some cases of Covid are associated with co-infections, which have occasionally turned out to be false positives. In the Wayne State University (Michigan) study, Sars-CoV-2 and HIV positive subjects were analyzed and the authors found a correlation between Covid and an increase in false positives for the AIDS virus. Sars-CoV-2 positive patients have a significantly higher probability of having a false positive HIV test than Sars-CoV-2 negative ones, according to the conclusions of the work (probability increased by about 3 times). The investigation was launched because some doctors noticed a surge in false positive HIV tests just as the Covid epidemic was starting its run. A retrospective review of medical records confirmed the suspicion that the two trends were related.
Survey numbers
The study was conducted from March 2020 to January 2022 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. About 32,000 patients were selected for coronavirus testing and a fourth-generation HIV test (combined tests that look for anti-HIV antibodies and parts of viruses, such as the p24 antigen). Overall, 335 people tested positive for HIV. Among those with Covid, nearly half of positive HIV screenings (47%) turned out to be false. Instead, only 23% of positive screenings among people without Covid result false. The disparity was not explained by any individual variable (sex, age), nor by pregnancy or vaccination status against Covid.
Possible explanations
According to the authors of the study, the response to Sars-CoV-2 infection could lead to the production of a peptide or protein that mimics the p24 protein (antigen of the HIV virus): this could be the cause of false HIV positives. Immunoassays that rely on the detection of antibodies (Ab) or antigens (Ag) – explain the authors – are subject to a series of interferences that can lead to false negative or false positive results. Therefore, in the case of HIV positivity (especially if the patient has recently been positive for Covid) it is essential to confirm the result of the test with other tests. The results of the study are very clear, but the correlation between Covid and the increase in false positives for the AIDS virus probably arises from questions relating to laboratory analyzes – explains Fabrizio Pregliasco, medical director of the IRCCS Galeazzi Hospital and associate professor of Hygiene at the University of Milan -. Relationships between HIV infections and Sars-CoV-2 have been hypothesized, for example that HIV-positive patients treated with antiretroviral therapy are more protected from severe forms of Covid, but no conclusive data has been reached. However, we know that different viruses can have small parts in common.
Previous studies
Already during the Sars epidemic, in 2003, a study had shown that the viral proteins of HIV and Sars-CoV-1 share some sequences. Not only. More recent work indicates that four parts of the Sars-CoV-2 spike protein (short segments of 6-8 amino acids) have similarities to some HIV proteins, suggesting a potential cross-reactivity between the antigens of the two viruses. The authors considered the relationship between Sars-Cov-2 and HIV to be casual and non-specific.
June 22, 2023 (change June 22, 2023 | 08:11)
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