title: [Wellcozyme: a new kit for the detection of anti-HIV antibodies. Considerations apropos of the initial trials].
abstract: We tested the Wellcozyme anti-HTLV III kit on: 600 blood donors fresh sera, simultaneously tested by Elavia (Diagnostics Pasteur) or Vironostika (Organon); 20 plasmas, known to be anti-HIV negative; 22 sera, already labelled, and a panel of 10 specimens from the "Retrovirus" study group of the French National Society of Blood Transfusion, also tested by Elavia, Vironostika, Abbott HTLV III EIA and by two confirmatory tests: Immuno-blot (Diagnostics Pasteur) and Abbott confirmatory test. The Wellcome kit is, at present, the only one to use a competitive Elisa method and not to require any sample predilution. The method is easy to perform, rapid (results in 1 h 30 time) and it tests as well serum as plasma. No interferences have been observed from high lipid concentrations or strong hemolysis on the Elisa reaction. The performances of the Wellcozyme test are satisfactory. We did not find any "false positive" result. But the study shows that this kit is not sensitive enough for the detection of anti-P25 antibodies, which appear on the beginning of seroconversion, unless the "grey range" is extended: the Wellcome Laboratories have just made this recommendation.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
vernacular_title: Wellcozyme: une nouvelle trousse de dépistage des anticorps anti-HIV. Reflexions à propos des premiers essais.