Document 2707
 DOCN  M94A2707
 TI    Field assessment of HIV antibody testing strategies not requiring the
       western blot.
 DT    9412
 AU    Tamashiro H; Maskill W; Belsey E; Wasi C; M'Boup S; Gershy-Damet G;
       Liomba G; World Health Organization, Global Programme on AIDS, Geneva,;
       Switzerland.
 SO    Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(1):243 (abstract no. PB0400). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA10/94369868
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To determine under field conditions the reliability of
       testing strategies which use various combinations of enzymes-linked
       immunosorbent assay (ELISA's) and/or simple/rapid (S/R) tests in place
       of the conventional ELISA-Western Blot (WB) strategy. METHOD: Sera from
       four countries (Cote d'Ivoire, Malawi, Senegal and Thailand) were tested
       by ELISA's and S/R tests. Sera found reactive by ELISA or S/R assay were
       tested by WB. The data was analysed to determine which combination of
       ELISA's and/or S/R assays provided the same result as an ELISA-WB
       combination. RESULTS: None of the combinations of either 2 or 3 ELISA's
       or S/R's used to sequentially test sera found reactive by a previous
       test were shown to produce both 100% sensitivity and specificity.
       However, 12 combinations of 2 ELISA's and 24 combinations of 3 ELISA's
       were shown to produce 100% sensitivity, with 4 of the 12 and 8 of the 24
       combinations producing > 99.0% specificity. Combinations of ELISA tests
       proved more reliable than combinations of S/R's. DISCUSSION AND
       CONCLUSION: Following appropriate in-field assessment, combinations of
       ELISA tests can be selected that will routinely provide at a much lower
       cost, results that are as reliable as the ELISA-WB combination.
 DE    *AIDS Serodiagnosis  *Blotting, Western  Comparative Study
       Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/*METHODS  Human  HIV Antibodies/*BLOOD
       HIV Seropositivity/*DIAGNOSIS/IMMUNOLOGY  Predictive Value of Tests
       Reproducibility of Results  MEETING ABSTRACT

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