Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
DETECTION OF HIV ANTIBODIES USING RECOMBINANT ENVELOPE AND CORE PROTEINS
HIV Detection by Genetic Engineering Methods. Luciw PA and Steimer KS, eds. New York, Marcel Dekker, p. 41-57, 1989.. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/90660254 Ghrayeb J; Kaplan PM; Mueller WT; Putney SD; Centocor Inc., Malvern, PA
Abstract:
Development of recombinant antigens for detection of HIV antibodies in serum is described, including results of preclinical and clinical trials of HIV detection. Identification of antigenic segments, purification and initial testing, and cloning and antigen expression also are discussed. Two proteins, P121, which is a part of the viral envelope protein, and PG2, which comprises 154 amino acids from the p24 region and 74 amino acids from the p15 region of the HIV core protein, were used as envelope and core antigens, respectively. The P121-based HIV antibody assay had a sensitivity of 99% when tested on sera from individuals with AIDS or AIDS-related complex; the assay uses a polystyrene bead coated with P121. Out of 7000 samples of normal plasma or sera, the assay showed a positive result with 16, 3 of which also were positive with Western blot (WB) analysis. An assay also was developed on a solid phase coated with both P121 and PG2. Preclinical studies indicate that this assay has similar sensitivity and specificity to the P121-bead assay. The combined-antigen assay was tested with a panel of samples that present difficult problems when encountered in the field. This panel included samples that were (1) positive using a viral antigen-based assay and WB negative; (2) positive in the viral source assay, uninterpretable with WB analysis, and negative by radioimmunoprecipitation (RIPA); and (3) repeatedly reactive by the virus assay, uninterpretable by WB, and positive by RIPA. Only samples positive on both the viral antigen assay and RIPA were positive using the combined-antigen recombinant assay. The results clearly demonstrate the utility of recombinant antigens for defining the HIV antibody status of serum samples. Each assay is at least comparable to assays using virus-based antigen. When used in parallel with a virus-based HIV antibody assay, the combined results may provide the most definitive current method for assessing HIV-antibody status. (23 Refs)
Keywords: AIDS Serodiagnosis/METHODS Clinical Trials *Cloning, Molecular Gene Expression Regulation, Viral Human HIV Antibodies/*ANALYSIS HIV Antigens/GENETICS HIV Infections/*DIAGNOSIS HIV-1/*GENETICS HIV-2/*GENETICS Viral Core Proteins/*GENETICS Viral Envelope Proteins/*GENETICS MONOGRAPH REVIEW
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
