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LH Perrin, S Yerly, N Adami, P Bachmann, E Butler-Brunner, J Burckhardt and E Kawashima
Department of Medicine, Cantonal University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
The significance of indeterminate screening antibody test for human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) serology is still difficult to evaluate,
especially in low-risk populations. One hundred twenty-seven blood donors
with an initially reactive screening test for HIV antibodies were enrolled
in this study. The sera of 95 of these blood donors were reactive on
repetition of the test, and none had detectable circulating p24 antigen.
Western blot (WB) analysis of the repeatedly reactive sera was as follows:
9 positive, 31 indeterminate, and 55 negative. One of the blood donors with
indeterminate WB later presented a seroconversion. On subsequent control 3
to 12 months later, the sera from donors with indeterminate or negative WB
did not present any parameters that may indicate a seroconversion. DNA was
purified from citrated blood collected from the 127 blood donors at the
time of the initial antibody screening. Five micrograms of each DNA sample
corresponding to 7 x 10(5) nucleated white blood cells was amplified by
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the presence of oligonucleotides
(primers) corresponding to a highly conserved segment of the pol gene. The
detection of amplified DNA was achieved by dot blot and Southern blot using
appropriate 32P-labeled oligonucleotides. Ten DNA samples were positive, 9
corresponded to blood donors with a positive HIV serology, and 1 to the
blood donor who later presented a seroconversion. These results confirm the
sensitivity of the PCR for the diagnosis of HIV infection; they also
suggest that repetition of the serology at 3- to 12-month intervals is a
valuable procedure for the control of HIV infection status in blood donors.
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| Copyright © 1990 by American Society of Hematology Online ISSN: 1528-0020 | |||||||||