Document 1059
 DOCN  M9621059
 TI    Use of pooling and outpatient laboratory specimens in an anonymous
       seroprevalence survey of HIV infection in British Columbia, Canada.
 DT    9602
 AU    Sherlock CH; Strathdee SA; Le T; Sutherland D; O'Shaughnessy MV;
       Schechter MT; Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia,;
       Vancouver, Canada.
 SO    AIDS. 1995 Aug;9(8):945-50. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96014970
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To conduct an anonymous HIV seroprevalence survey to
       establish a baseline estimate of HIV seroprevalence in a general
       population; to evaluate serum pooling and alternative testing strategies
       as cost-saving measures. DESIGN: Prospective anonymous HIV
       seroprevalence study using outpatient laboratory specimens. SETTING: Two
       large non-hospital-associated outpatient chemistry testing laboratories
       in the major population centers in British Columbia, Canada. PATIENTS
       AND SERA: Leftover sera received for chemistry screen testing in
       outpatient laboratories were provided to the study after chemistry
       testing was completed. Those from patients aged < 15 and > or = 55 years
       were excluded. METHODS: Patient identifiers were erased from samples.
       Sera were pooled 10:1 and tested by viral lysate enzyme-linked
       immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sera from HIV-positive pools were tested
       individually. All individual HIV-positive specimens were retested for
       verification of positivity using a recombinant protein ELISA. MAIN
       OUTCOME MEASURES: HIV seroprevalence rates were stratified by sex, age
       group, and geographic area; and costs of pooling and alternative
       algorithm strategy were compared with those of conventional methods.
       RESULTS: A total of 80,238 sera were collected from 66,658 individuals
       (53% women, 47% men). Of these, 276 men (88.3 per 10,000) and 24 women
       (6.8 per 10,000) were HIV-seropositive. The highest rates were in those
       aged 30-34 years, for both men and women. Using pooling and non-Western
       blot verification saved US$2.07 per specimen, or 80% of the cost for
       conventional testing. CONCLUSIONS: The anonymous outpatient laboratory
       setting is practicable to obtain a reasonable estimate of HIV
       seroprevalence rates in a general population. Such studies can be made
       cost-effective by pooling sera and using alternative confirmatory
       strategies.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  AIDS Serodiagnosis/ECONOMICS  British
       Columbia/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Costs and Cost Analysis  Female  Human  *HIV
       Seroprevalence  Laboratories  Male  Middle Age  Outpatients  Prospective
       Studies  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  JOURNAL ARTICLE

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