title: Evaluation of a dipstick method for the detection of human immunodeficiency virus infection.
abstract: Serology has been a fundamental tool to prevent post-transfusional infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and for epidemiological surveys, the first step to attempt control of the pandemia. Enzyme immunoassay is in widespread use. Nevertheless, simpler methods are needed in many countries, where laboratory facilities and trained personnel are limited, and HIV prevalence is high. The evaluation of a simple and noninstrumented HIV antibody test is presented here. The test employs synthetic antigens of HIV-1 and HIV-2 attached to the teeth of a polystyrene comb, which fit into the wells of standard microtiter plates where samples are diluted. Captured antibodies are developed with colloidal gold-labeled Protein A. Three seroconversion panels plus 662 samples were tested, including HIV-1 and HIV-2-infected individuals, normal blood donors, and a noninfected baby born to a seroreactive mother. When compared with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot, the dipstick showed 100% sensitivity and 98.7% specificity. The simplicity of result evaluations and excellent reagent stability make the dipstick suitable for small blood banks and for epidemiological surveys.
authors.affiliation: Research and Biotechnology Center, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Beristain
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Rojkin
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D007202:Indicators and Reagents