
Do Usage Of B-complex Vitamins Cause Elevated Liver Enzymes?

A friend mentioned casually that she was on a regimen of B-complex vitamins and that these caused liver enzyme changes which resulted in a false positive for HIV. My question is ...is there any documented correlation between B vitamins or any vitamins and false positive HIV tests? Thank you so much for your help!
There is no evidence.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome to Healthcare Magic.
I read carefully your query and understand your concern.
Let me tell you first that the screening test for HIV is called ELISA which is a test that identify antibodies produced by the immune system to fight HIV infection .So it is not a direct identification of the virus in blood.
There are many factors known that can cause false positive results when being tested for HIV.This are factors that can cause the production of antibodies from immune system very similar with HIV-antibodies that can be confused from the tests as HIV -antibodies ( this is called Antibody cross-reactivity ).This is a false positive result.
Some of these factors include:
-Pregnancy
-Some infective disease caused by cytomegalovirus, hepatitis A and B, giardia, gonorrhea, and mycobactera
-Recent vaccination like Hepatits vacine or Influenza vaccination.
Vitamin B complex is not known to cause false positive results in HIV test.
There isn't a single medical evidence that Vitamin B-complex can cause a false positive HIV result.There is no mechanism that can be suspected for such interaction.
So as we know so far Vitamin B- complex doesn't cause a false positive test.
To avoid false positive results , always a positive ELISA test is confirmed with Western Blot test .If this test is positive then the person is HIV positive and if the tests is negative then the person is not infected and the first test (ELISA) was a false positive test.
Hope it helps.
Let me know if you have any other question or doubt to clarify.I will be happy to assist you further.
Kind regards,
Dr.Rovena Murati


Thank you very much for your answer. As a follow up, I am suspecting that my friend may have Hepatitis, but does not want to say...
you mentioned that the presence of hepatitis may cause a false positive for HIV. Also, gonorrhea may cause a false positive.
I just want to conform that.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
Hope you are doing well.
Yes it true that some infection including Hepatitis and Gonorrhea are thought that might cause a false positive HIV test.This can happen because in these infections our immune system produces antibodies that in some cases can be confused with antibodies produced during HIV infection in a HIV test ,ELISA.
In this cases the confirmatory test Western Blot will result negative for HIV.
Hope I have answered the query.
I wish you all the best.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena


detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Possible causes for false positive HIV test may include:
-Chronic hepatic disease
-Autoimmune disease
-Hepatitis B or recent vaccination for Hepatitis B
-Hepatitis A is also suspected but there are no enough evidences to confirm it.
Let me know if you need further help.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena

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