Two hundred serum samples from AIDS-like patients, blood donors and miscellaneous patients were screened by ELISA for HIV 1-2. Repeatedly positive samples were confirmed using the Western Blot (WB). Twenty samples that were dual positive were further analysed by Innolia, which contains synthetic or recombinant antigens in HIV-1 and HIV-2. Only 5 of the samples were dual positive. The need for further analysis of dual WB results is re-emphasized.
PIP: A serologic study conducted in Ghana highlighted the importance of differentiating between HIV cross-reactivity and specific reactions directed against the virus itself. 200 serum samples collected from blood donors, patients suspected to have AIDS, and other patients were screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and, if reactive, confirmed by Western blot. The 20 samples that were dually positive for HIV-1 and HIV-2 according to Western blot were further analyzed by INNOLIA, which contains synthetic or recombinant antigens to HIV-1 and HIV-2. Only 5 of the 20 samples were dually positive. 10 samples were positive for HIV-1 alone, 4 were positive for HIV-2 alone, and 1 was indeterminate. The INNOLIA test offers a more specific test for differentiation than the Western blot, and it is simpler to use since results for both HIV-1 and HIV-2 are recorded on a single test strip.