title: Investigation of primary human immunodeficiency virus infection in patients who test positive for heterophile antibody.
abstract: In light of a recent report of 3 false-positive results of Epstein-Barr virus heterophile tests caused by HIV infection, we sought to assess the frequency of this occurrence. One hundred thirty-two positive heterophile antibody-tested serum samples were obtained from 2 tertiary care facilities in Boston to assess for HIV, and all tested negative for HIV plasma RNA. This study shows that false-positive results of heterophile tests are not frequently associated with primary HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA. rwalensky@partners.org
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Walensky
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ferraro
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Losina
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Freedberg
mesh_terms: D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile / Q000097:blood*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile; D012367:RNA, Viral