Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 proficiency testing. The American Association of Blood Banks/College of American Pathologists Program.
The American Association of Blood Banks/College of American Pathologists Viral Marker Survey program added samples to evaluate participant performance with test systems for the detection of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in 1985. On the 80 challenges sent through April 1989, the major problem observed with enzyme immunoassay testing was unexpected reactivity on samples that did not contain anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1. One manufacturer's testing system accounted for most of the specificity problems. The sensitivity of the enzyme immunoassay for anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is close to 99%, based on the multiple reactive samples used on the 16 panels. Between 1985 and 1989, there was a 14-fold increase in participants reporting Western blot results. The introduction of a licensed system for Western blots increased the number of samples that contained antibody to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 interpreted as indeterminate. Answers to supplementary questions showed that the rate of repeatably reactive and confirmed positives on blood donors dropped to less than 0.1%.
Memorial Blood Center of Minneapolis, MN 55404.
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Polesky
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Hanson
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000592:standards*; D001771:Blood Banks; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000592:standards; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000592:standards; D010336:Pathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011786:Quality Control; D012955:Societies, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States