title: Identifying HIV-2-seropositive individuals by reevaluating HIV-1 indeterminate sera.
abstract: HIV-2 infections are rare in North America, with less than 30 cases identified since 1988. We conducted a surveillance for HIV-2 seroprevalence by re-evaluating 457 HIV-1 indeterminate serology specimens submitted to the Maryland Department of Health Laboratories from January 1, 1988 to July 15, 1991. All indeterminates were screened using a combination HIV-1/HIV-2 synthetic peptide EIA. The presence of HIV-2-specific antibodies in initially reactive sera was confirmed utilizing a selective HIV-2 synthetic peptide EIA and Western blotting. Eight sera from four adult males attending public health clinics in suburban Washington, D.C. were found to be specifically reactive for HIV-2 antibodies. One is a native West African; the others remain anonymous. All eight sera demonstrated a gag (core) and pol (polymerase) only pattern of reactivity on HIV-1 Western blots. Targeting selected groups of HIV-1 indeterminate sera from patients attending public health clinics may represent a more appropriate strategy to monitor the spread of HIV-2 in North America than testing similar samples from the blood donor population.
authors.affiliation: Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Laboratories, Baltimore 21203.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Joseph
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003429:Cross Reactions; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007106:Immune Sera; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins