title: Evaluation of a new HTLV-I/II polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluation of a qualitative HTLV-I/II DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for the detection of HTLV-I/II DNA (Roche Diagnostic Systems, Branchburg, N.J., USA) in various panels.
  
  
  METHODS
  The panels consisted of fresh EDTA blood samples from blood donors who were anti-HTLV-I/II ELISA repeatably reactive: 53 were Western blot (WB) positive, 228 were WB indeterminate and 15 were WB negative. Elevent ELISA-negative blood donors were used as negative controls. Furthermore, specimens from 1 HTLV-II-infected intravenous drug user and from 1 HTLV-II-infected blood donor were included in the panel. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were prepared by red blood cell lysis with the Roche washing solution and stored at < -23 degrees C until processing. Amplification products were analyzed with the HTLV-I/II detection kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 53 anti-HTLV-I/II ELISA- and WB-positive samples and both HTLV-II-positive samples tested positively by PCR. All 228 anti-HTLV-I/II ELISA-positive and WB-indeterminate, all 15 ELISA-positive and WB-negative and all II ELISA-negative control samples tested negative by PCR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Roche Amplicor HTLV-I/II test is a simple test, suitable for the confirmation of HTLV-I and-II infection in individuals with indeterminate or positive WB patterns.
authors.affiliation: Red Cross Blood Bank Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vrielink
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Zaaijer
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Cuypers
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: van der Poel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Woerdeman
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Lelie
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Winkel
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Reesink
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic