Early detection of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus 1 by a third-generation enzyme immunoassay. A comparative study with the results of second-generation immunoassays and western blot.
The aim of the study was to examine the sensitivity and the specificity of a HIV-1/HIV-2 third-generation enzyme immunoassay, the Abbott recombinant HIV-1/HIV-2 third-generation enzyme immunoassay, which is reported to detect simultaneously IgG and IgM. Sensitivity was evaluated with sera from seropositive subjects and a series of samples from eight HIV-1 seroconverting subjects. Results were compared with Western blot, second-generation immunoassays (including Vidas HIV-1 + 2) and an HIV-1 antigen assay. Specificity was studied with sera collected from a low-risk population and sera with false-reactive enzyme immunoassays results. In seven cases, the third-generation immunoassay detected HIV-antibodies several days earlier (range 4 to > or = 9 days) than the Western blot test according to the criteria proposed by the Association of State and Territorial Public Health Laboratory Directors, ie, positive with two of the three bands-gp160 or gp120, gp41, and p24. In the last case detection occurred at the same time as Western blot. The second-generation tests generally detected HIV-antibodies at the same time as Western blot. Antigaenemia was positive in the first samples tested in most cases, prior to or simultaneously with the Abbott third-generation test first reactivity, before the second generation tests and the Western blot test. In most cases, the disappearance of detectable HIV antigen was observed, and was concurrent with the development of the antibodies immune response. For our low-risk population, the current third-generation EIA test obtained a false-reactive rate of 0.26%. Our data indicate that the Abbott third-generation immunoassay is more sensitive than the Western blot test and the second-generation tests. The addition of a third-generation assay to the strategy for HIV-antibody screening may indeed be of interest and could make it possible to decrease the number of false-negative results.
Barbé
F
F
Laboratoire de chimie biologique, maternité régionale de Nancy, France.
Klein
M
M
Badonnel
Y
Y
D015153:Blotting, Western; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M