Detection of Individuals With Acute HIV-1 Infection Using the ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo Assay

• Published in: Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) Vol. 52; no. 1; pp. 121 - 124
• Main Authors: Eshleman, Susan H, Khaki, Leila, Laeyendecker, Oliver, Piwowar-Manning, Estelle, Johnson-Lewis, LeTanya, Husnik, Marla, Koblin, Beryl, Coates, Thomas, Chesney, Margaret, Vallari, Ana, Devare, Sushil G, Hackett, John
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 01-09-2009; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ovid Technologies
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; AIDS/HIV; Biological and medical sciences; Diagnostic tests; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HIV; HIV Infections - diagnosis; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1 - isolation & purification; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunoassay; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Medical screening; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA, Viral - blood; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Virology; USA; HIV-1; Immunopathology; Microbiology; HIV-1 virus; Acute; Retroviridae; AIDS; Immune deficiency; Lentivirus; Infection; Virus; acute infection; Viral disease; HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay; Human immunodeficiency virus; Detection
• ISSN: 1525-4135; 1944-7884
• DOI: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181ab61e1

BACKGROUND:We evaluated use of the ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay (HIV Combo; Abbott Diagnostics; available for sale outside the United States only) for detection of acute HIV infection.
METHODS:Samples were obtained from a behavioral intervention study (EXPLORE). HIV-uninfected men who have sex with men were enrolled and tested for HIV infection every 6 months. Samples from seroconverters collected at their last seronegative visit (n = 217) were tested individually using 2 HIV RNA assays. Samples with detectable HIV RNA were classified as acute and were tested with HIV Combo. Samples from the enrollment visit (n = 83) and the time of HIV seroconversion (n = 219) were tested with HIV Combo as controls.
RESULTS:Twenty-one samples (9.7%) from the last seronegative visit had detectable HIV RNA and were classified as acute. HIV Combo was positive for 13 of the acute samples (61.9%). Samples not detected by HIV Combo had viral loads of 724-15,130 copies per milliliter. Expected results were obtained for positive and negative controls tested with HIV Combo.
CONCLUSIONS:HIV Combo detected nearly two thirds of acute HIV infections identified in this high-risk population by non-pooled HIV RNA assays. HIV Combo may be useful for high-throughput screening to identify individuals with acute HIV infection.