Document 2728
 DOCN  M94A2728
 TI    Prevalence of p24 antigen in a shock trauma population.
 DT    9412
 AU    Constantine NT; Abesamis C; Bansal J; Preas MA; Caplan E; Department
       Pathology, Univ. of Maryland Sch. of Med., Baltimore; 21201.
 SO    Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(1):238 (abstract no. PB0380). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA10/94369847
 AB    OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of HIV p24 antigen in a
       population admitted to the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, MD, USA.
       where the prevalence of infection is 3%. METHODS: 639 sequentially
       collected sera were tested retrospectively for the presence of HIV p24
       antigen. This population had previously been determined to have a
       prevalence of HIV infection of 3% using antibody assays. All sera were
       tested using the Coulter HIV-1 p24 antigen test as recommended by the
       manufacturer. Reactive samples were further tested using the Coulter
       HIV-1 p24 antigen neutralization procedure designed to confirm the
       presence of p24 antigen. Criteria for positivity included a reduction in
       OD of at least 50% as compared to a non-neutralized aliquot. RESULTS: 16
       of the 639 sera were initially reactive by the p24 antigen assay; in
       addition, 5 sera exhibited a grey-zone reactivity (within 20% of the
       established cutoff). Of these 21 sera, only two (0.3%) met the
       manufacturer's criteria for confirmed positivity for p24 antigen (were
       significantly neutralized). Both of these samples had also been positive
       for antibody to HIV. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Although 2 sera were
       confirmed positive for p24 antigen, antibody had also been detected,
       suggesting established rather than early infection. Antigen testing in
       this population is unwarranted as an attempt to detect early infection.
 DE    Baltimore/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Human  HIV Antibodies/BLOOD  HIV Core Protein
       p24/*BLOOD  HIV Seropositivity/DIAGNOSIS/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY  *HIV
       Seroprevalence  HIV-1/*IMMUNOLOGY  Shock/*IMMUNOLOGY  Trauma
       Centers/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA  Wounds and Injuries/*IMMUNOLOGY
       MEETING ABSTRACT

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