Detection of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) retrovirus antibody by lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV) enzyme immunoassay in low- and high-risk populations

Abstract

Antibody to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) retrovirus was evaluated by an lymphadenopathy-associated (LAV) enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA) and compared with the standard human T-cell lymphotropic virus, Type III (HTLV-III) screening test in two groups of people. The first group consisted of those at low risk for AIDS, including 1352 random volunteer donors, 1140 of whom were prospective donors and 212 of whom were retrospective donors, repeatedly reactive by HTLV-III EIA. The second group was composed of those at high risk for AIDS, including 54 hemophiliacs, one of whom had AIDS, seven AIDS-related complex (ARC), and one immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Of the 1140 prospective donors, one was repeatedly reactive by LAV EIA and four by HTLV-III EIA; none was positive by Western blot. Of the 212 retrospective donors, six were repeatedly reactive by LAV EIA and 212 by HTLV-III EIA; only six (the six LAV EIA positive) were positive by Western blot. Of the 54 hemophiliacs, 46 were repeatedly reactive by both LAV EIA and HTLV-III EIA, and all 46 were positive by Western blot. Both LAV EIA and HTLV-III EIA were positive in all hemophiliacs with AIDS, ARC, and ITP. The marked reduction in HTLV-III EIA repeatedly reactive, Western blot nonreactive samples by the LAV EIA system suggests that this assay may be as sensitive but more specific than the standard HTLV-III EIA in low-risk populations. The strong correlation between the LAV EIA and the Western blot assay further suggests that this assay may provide an efficient screening test for AIDS antibody in the donor population.