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Quality assessment of HIV antibody tests in West Germany.

Enzensberger R, Doerr HW; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 1989 Jun 4-9; 5: 653 (abstract no. C.569).

University Clinics Frankfurt, Department of Medical Virology, FRG

Testing for HIV antibodies is subject to continuous technical improvement. Therefore permanent monitoring of the tests quality is a major requirement in HIV serology. A panel of ten sera (three HIV-positive, one HIV-2 positive and six HIV negative) were sent to 77 German laboratories for a quality control test. Serum samples were assayed for HIV antibodies using 13 commercially available ELISAs (12 HIV 1-kits, 1 HIV 2-kit) IFA and Western blot. The study revealed a high standard of efficacy of the tests as well as an excellent interassay reproducibility. The overall sensitivity of HIV-1 ELISA was 99.5% (96.6% - 100%). By IFA and Western blot the same level of accuracy was achieved. With the exception of the specific HIV-2 ELISA, HIV 2 antibody were consistently recognized only by the Abbott recombinant EIA (48.9% cross-reactivity). Western blot was even more sensitive (78% reactivity) mostly due to the p24 protein band. In an additional series of 43 sera of weak reactivity in our laboratory (60% renal transplant recipients) Western blot and IFA were definitely more specific (91.2%/97%) than most ELISAs (18.9%-100%), emphasizing the importance of confirmatory testing for all equivocal results.

Publication Types:
  • Meeting Abstracts
Keywords:
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
  • Blotting, Western
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Evaluation Studies
  • Germany, West
  • HIV
  • HIV Antibodies
  • HIV Antigens
  • HIV Core Protein p24
  • HIV Infections
  • HIV Seropositivity
  • HIV-1
  • HIV-2
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Mass Screening
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • immunology
  • methods
Other ID:
  • 00345589
UI: 102179357

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