title: HIV DNA and antibodies in syringes from injecting drug users: a comparison of detection techniques.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Direct HIV testing of individual injecting drug users is not always feasible. As an alternative, we have evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of several techniques for detecting HIV-1-specific products in used syringes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antibody-capture assays were compared using syringes prepared with blood from HIV-1-positive and -negative individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  PCR sensitivity was maximized, enabling detection of single copies of HIV-1-specific proviral DNA. The limits of detection from used syringes were determined for PCR by diluting extracts and correlated to CD4+ cell counts. Similarly, limits of detection were determined for enzyme immunoassays (EIA) and Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All techniques were highly specific, although with PCR false-positives were detected occasionally. EIA proved more sensitive than Western blot in detecting needles containing HIV-1-infected individuals' blood. Even after prolonged storage of syringes at room temperature, EIA was equal to or better than PCR as an HIV-1 detection technique. The most sensitive method for detecting HIV-1 was the viral-based EIA when the recommended predilution step was omitted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EIA proved preferable to PCR because of their higher sensitivity, absence of false-positives and easier sample preparation and analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heimer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Henrard
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D013594:Syringes
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies