Document 0602
 DOCN  M9610602
 TI    Concordance of PCR and antibody results from HIV testing of injecting
       drug users.
 DT    9601
 AU    Kral AH; Watters JK; Lifson AR; Carlson JR; Stanley M; Urban Health
       Study, Institute for Health Policy Studies, San; Francisco, CA 94110,
       USA.
 SO    J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol. 1995 Nov 1;10(3):381-5.
       Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96027807
 AB    Standard HIV-1 testing relies on the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for
       detecting antibodies specific to HIV-1. This technique may misclassify
       persons as HIV-1-negative in instances where testing follows infection
       but precedes development of antibody to HIV-1. To evaluate the
       occurrence of HIV infection in the absence of positive antibody,
       polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for viral DNA in the blood has been
       applied. Research comparing these two testing techniques has generally
       focused on populations of homosexual and bisexual men. This study
       compares PCR and antibody testing of 337 injecting drug users recruited
       from street settings in San Francisco. Of 286 HIV-1 antibody-negative
       samples, 3 (1.0%) were PCR-positive. Of 49 HIV-1 antibody-positive
       samples, 1 (2.0%) was PCR-negative. Two samples were
       antibody-indeterminate and PCR-negative. This yielded an overall
       concordance of 331/335 (98.8%), excluding the indeterminate results.
       These results suggest that current antibody methodology is adequate.
       However, misclassification among recently infected individuals may
       occur, which is of concern in high-incidence groups.
 DE    Adult  Comparative Study  Cross-Sectional Studies  DNA, Viral/*BLOOD
       Female  Human  HIV Antibodies/*BLOOD  HIV Infections/*DIAGNOSIS  HIV
       Seropositivity/*DIAGNOSIS  *HIV-1/GENETICS/IMMUNOLOGY  Immunoenzyme
       Techniques  Male  Middle Age  Polymerase Chain Reaction/METHODS
       Reproducibility of Results  Substance Abuse, Intravenous/*COMPLICATIONS
       Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).