Application of screening and confirmatory assays for anti-HTLV-I/II in U.K. populations.
During an epidemiological study of a low risk U.K. population diverse screening and confirmatory assays for the detection of anti-HTLV-I/II were assessed. Sera from 2,900 antenatal patients were tested for anti-HTLV-I/II by gelatin particle agglutination assay (GPA). All reactive sera, and 133 randomly selected unreactive sera, were further tested by Abbott and DuPont ELISAs, "in house" competitive and IgG capture radioimmunoassays (RIAs), and Western blot (WB). Sera which reacted with any HTLV-I proteins by WB were tested by radio immunoprecipitation assays (RIPA). The two ELISAs detected all the GPA reactive specimens that were subsequently confirmed as anti-HTLV-I/II positive. Confirmation of positive screening results required the use of both WB and RIPA. Serological diagnosis of HTLV infection involves access to specialised assays that are not commercially available.
PHLS Virus Reference Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory, London, England.
J H
JH
Tosswill
J V
JV
Parry
J N
JN
Weber
D000372:Agglutination Tests; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015480:Deltaretrovirus Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D006113:United Kingdom
D015480:Deltaretrovirus Antibodies