title: Evaluation of rapid tests for human immunodeficiency virus as a tool to detect recent seroconversion.
abstract: The identification of recent HIV infection is important for epidemiological studies and to monitor the epidemic. The objective of this study was to evaluate two rapid tests that are easily available to the Brazilian scientific community for using as markers of recent HIV infection. The Rapid Test - HIV-1/2 Bio-Manguinhos (Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz, Brazil) and the Rapid Check HIV 1&2 (NDI-UFES, Center for Infectious Diseases, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo) were tested, using 489 samples with HIV positive serology, from blood donors, previously classified as recent or long-term infection by serological testing algorithm for recent HIV seroconversion (STARHS) or LS-HIV Vitros assay methods. The samples were diluted prior to testing (1:50 and 1:100 for the Rapid Test - HIV-1/2 Bio-Manguinhos, and 1:500 and 1:600 for the Rapid Check HIV 1&2). Negative samples were considered recent infection, whereas those showing any color intensity were associated with long-term infection. The best dilutions were 1:100 for HIV-1/2 Bio-Manguinhos test (Kappa = 0.840; overall agreement = 0.93), and 1:500 for the Rapid Check HIV 1&2 (Kappa = 0.867; overall agreement = 0.94). The results suggest that both rapid tests can be used to detect recent seroconversion.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Samira Barboza
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Girardi
authors.forename: Angela Maria Egydio de Carvalho
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: Claudia Cortese
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: Anna Barbara
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Proietti
authors.forename: Silvia Maia Farias de
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Loureiro
authors.forename: Ester Cerdeira
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Sabino
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic