title: Efficacy of a less-sensitive enzyme immunoassay (3A11-LS) for early diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 infection in infants.
abstract: We evaluated a less-sensitive enzyme immunoassay (3A11-LS) for its possible use for early diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in infants. The results were compared with those from the immunoglobulin G-capture enzyme immunoassay. A total of 239 sera from 77 infants were tested. All 25 sera from the 10 infants born to seronegative mothers were found to be negative by both assays. Forty-one seroreverting infants showed a complete decay of maternal antibodies by 4 months by the 3A11-LS assay. However, the assay detected HIV antibodies in only 9 (36%) of 25 sera collected from infected infants between 4 and 6 months and in 27 (63%) of 43 sera collected after 6 months of age. Further analysis with alternative cutoff values indicated that the 3A11-LS had a sensitivity of 12 to 44% and a specificity of 90 to 100% for infants between 4-6 months of age. This data suggest that a diagnosis of HIV infection in some of the infants could be made after 4 months of age by the 3A11-LS assay, although a negative 3A11-LS test result may not rule out infection and may require a further followup.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Candal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bulterys
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Steketee
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Parekh
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G