title: HIV-2 antibody testing of blood donors with doubtful immunoblot results for HIV-1.
abstract: Antibodies against human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) in samples from blood donors are commonly detected by various enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and by confirmatory tests, e.g., "Western blot" or immunofluorescence tests. Immunoblot reactivity, which is directed only towards the HIV-1 core proteins p 18, p 24 and p 55, may represent false-positive reactions. Out of 125,000 blood donations, 140 were repeatably HIV-1 antibody reactive by ELISA; of these, 20 were doubtful positive sera with isolated p 18 and/or p 24 bands in the HIV-1 confirmatory assay. Antibodies to HIV-2 are known to cross-react with these HIV-1 core proteins. We therefore assayed the 20 sera by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting for the presence of antibodies to HIV-2. None of these doubtful HIV-1 antibody positive blood donor sera was found to have antibodies to HIV-2.
authors.affiliation: German Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service of Lower Saxony, Springe, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knüver-Hopf
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mohr
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lambrecht
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mix
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rübsamen-Waigmann
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmitt
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G