Improved detection of HIV p24 antigen in serum after acid pretreatment.
HIV-1 p24 antigen was detected in 554 sera (509 from HIV-1 seropositive individuals and 45 sera from seronegative controls) using a conventional method with acid pretreatment of the sample in order to separate the p24 antigen/anti-p24 antibody immune complexes. In asymptomatic individuals there was a substantial increase in antigen detection (48.2% vs 8.4%). Similar results were also observed in ARC (59.1% vs 12.2%) and AIDS patients (85.7% vs 37.1%). It can be concluded that the acid treatment improves the sensitivity of conventional techniques to detect HIV-1 p24 antigen.
Rodríguez-Iglesias
M A
MA
Department of Microbiology, Puerto Real University Hospital, University of Cádiz, Spain.
Alvarez
J R
JR
Vergara
A
A
Garcia-Valdivia
M S
MS
Jesús
I
I
Mira
J
J
D005260:Female; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male
D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid