Significance of indeterminate reactivity to human T-cell lymphotropic virus in western blot analysis of individuals at risk.
Current tests to confirm human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) infection in individuals at risk of retroviral infection commonly yield indeterminate results. To assess the significance of HTLV-seroindeterminate reactivities in a high-risk population, 16 at-risk individuals who had this serologic pattern by Western blot were studied using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type II infection was confirmed by the presence of virus-specific nucleic acid in four patients. However, PCR analysis was negative in the remaining 12 individuals. These results indicate strongly that all specimens from at-risk individuals with nondiagnostic HTLV reactivity by current Western blot assay should continue to be considered inconclusive, requiring further testing by more sensitive tests.
Medrano
F J
FJ
Department of Internal Medicine, Virgen del Rocio University Hospital, Sevilla, Spain.
Soriano
V
V
Calderón
E J
EJ
Rey
C
C
Gutiérrez
M
M
Bravo
R
R
Leal
M
M
González-Lahoz
J
J
Lissen
E
E
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies