AEGiS-AIDSWeekly: HIV/AIDS Screening: Use of two HIV antibody screening tests increase false-positive rate

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in August 2004. The state of the art August have changed since the publication date.

HIV/AIDS Screening: Use of two HIV antibody screening tests increase false-positive rate

AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, August 16, 2004
Staff Medical Writers

NewsRx -- The use of two HIV antibody screening tests increases the rate of false-positive results.

"Screening for HIV infection can use many algorithms. When two different HIV antibody assays are used, discordant results may occur.

"To discriminate between HIV seroconversion, HIV variant infection and false- positive reactivity, 30 consecutive subjects with two discordant HIV antibody-screening assays were extensively investigated for HIV infection," scientists in France report.

"No subject had HIV seroconversion or reached HIV seropositivity criteria after a follow-up of 3 months. By contrast," said C. Pasquier and coworkers, "36% became HIV negative by the use of both HIV screening assays.

"p24 Antigen, HIV-1 RNA, HIV-1 DNA, HIV-2 DNA assays and HIV isolation by sensitive culture were unable to identify HIV infection in the 30 subjects with discordant HIV screening assays."

The authors concluded "The data suggest that the use of two HIV screening assays increase false-positive HIV results without increasing clinical sensitivity. To compliment follow-up of HIV screening, early testing for HIV RNA could be useful to identify or eliminate a recent infection."

Pasquier and colleagues published their study in Journal of Clinical Virology (Virological exploration of individuals with discordant HIV screening tests. J Clin Virol. 2004 Jul;30(3):218-23.

For more information, contact C. Pasquier, Hop Purpan, Virology Laboratory, EA2046-IFR30, Pl Dr. Baylac, TSA 40031, F-31059 Toulouse, France.

Publisher contact information for the Journal of Clinical Virology is: Elsevier Science BV, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of AIDS/HIV, Immunology, Genomics and Genetics, Diagnostics, and Biotechnology.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

Reference

Pasquier C, Sandres-Saune K, Mansuy JM, et al., "Virological exploration of individuals with discordant HIV screening tests.", J Clin Virol. 2004 Jul;30(3):218-23.

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