Biomaterial Database

Laboratory diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection. 1993

M R Proffitt, and B Yen-Lieberman

Department of Clinical Pathology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio.

HIV infection and AIDS will continue to grow as a major medical and social problem. The incidence of heterosexual transmission is rising, and it will become increasingly difficult for physicians and counselors to assess an individual's risk of infection. In coming years, physicians can expect to see patients who are infected, but whose risk may not be apparent, and who may not present with conditions immediately suggestive of their infection. The majority of these patients may not even suspect they are infected. Many of the tests currently available for diagnosing HIV infection are very good. They are both highly sensitive and highly specific and their predictive values are good when their limits are understood. But, as HIV infection expands to an ever larger number of women and children and as the ability to sharply define risk groups fades, demand for a broader range of tests that can reliably confirm infection and are easy to perform can only increase. We have attempted to describe some of the common serologic tests currently used to diagnose HIV infection and some of the limitations of these tests. We also have pointed out that criteria used by laboratories for interpreting tests such as the Western blot may not always be uniform, and physicians should know the criteria used by their reference laboratory and the quality control measures taken. We also have attempted to describe some of the tests available to detect the virus, its genes, or its gene products. PCR and other rapidly evolving gene amplification techniques hold great promise as highly sensitive and specific tests for the diagnosis/confirmation of HIV infection. As with the serologic tests, it is important for those who may use these tests to understand their value as well as their limitations.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D004797	Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay	An immunoassay utilizing an antibody labeled with an enzyme marker such as horseradish peroxidase. While either the enzyme or the antibody is bound to an immunosorbent substrate, they both retain their biologic activity; the change in enzyme activity as a result of the enzyme-antibody-antigen reaction is proportional to the concentration of the antigen and can be measured spectrophotometrically or with the naked eye. Many variations of the method have been developed.	ELISA,Assay, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent,Assays, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent,Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay,Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays,Immunosorbent Assay, Enzyme-Linked,Immunosorbent Assays, Enzyme-Linked
D005455	Fluorescent Antibody Technique	Test for tissue antigen using either a direct method, by conjugation of antibody with fluorescent dye (FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUE, DIRECT) or an indirect method, by formation of antigen-antibody complex which is then labeled with fluorescein-conjugated anti-immunoglobulin antibody (FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUE, INDIRECT). The tissue is then examined by fluorescence microscopy.	Antinuclear Antibody Test, Fluorescent,Coon's Technique,Fluorescent Antinuclear Antibody Test,Fluorescent Protein Tracing,Immunofluorescence Technique,Coon's Technic,Fluorescent Antibody Technic,Immunofluorescence,Immunofluorescence Technic,Antibody Technic, Fluorescent,Antibody Technics, Fluorescent,Antibody Technique, Fluorescent,Antibody Techniques, Fluorescent,Coon Technic,Coon Technique,Coons Technic,Coons Technique,Fluorescent Antibody Technics,Fluorescent Antibody Techniques,Fluorescent Protein Tracings,Immunofluorescence Technics,Immunofluorescence Techniques,Protein Tracing, Fluorescent,Protein Tracings, Fluorescent,Technic, Coon's,Technic, Fluorescent Antibody,Technic, Immunofluorescence,Technics, Fluorescent Antibody,Technics, Immunofluorescence,Technique, Coon's,Technique, Fluorescent Antibody,Technique, Immunofluorescence,Techniques, Fluorescent Antibody,Techniques, Immunofluorescence,Tracing, Fluorescent Protein,Tracings, Fluorescent Protein
D005784	Gene Amplification	A selective increase in the number of copies of a gene coding for a specific protein without a proportional increase in other genes. It occurs naturally via the excision of a copy of the repeating sequence from the chromosome and its extrachromosomal replication in a plasmid, or via the production of an RNA transcript of the entire repeating sequence of ribosomal RNA followed by the reverse transcription of the molecule to produce an additional copy of the original DNA sequence. Laboratory techniques have been introduced for inducing disproportional replication by unequal crossing over, uptake of DNA from lysed cells, or generation of extrachromosomal sequences from rolling circle replication.	Amplification, Gene
D006678	HIV	Human immunodeficiency virus. A non-taxonomic and historical term referring to any of two species, specifically HIV-1 and/or HIV-2. Prior to 1986, this was called human T-lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV). From 1986-1990, it was an official species called HIV. Since 1991, HIV was no longer considered an official species name; the two species were designated HIV-1 and HIV-2.	AIDS Virus,HTLV-III,Human Immunodeficiency Viruses,Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type III,Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type III,LAV-HTLV-III,Lymphadenopathy-Associated Virus,Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus,Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus,Human Immunodeficiency Virus,Human T Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type III,Human T Lymphotropic Virus Type III,Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type III,Immunodeficiency Virus, Human,Immunodeficiency Viruses, Human,Virus, Human Immunodeficiency,Viruses, Human Immunodeficiency,AIDS Viruses,Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type III,Lymphadenopathy Associated Virus,Lymphadenopathy-Associated Viruses,Virus, AIDS,Virus, Lymphadenopathy-Associated,Viruses, AIDS,Viruses, Lymphadenopathy-Associated
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D015153	Blotting, Western	Identification of proteins or peptides that have been electrophoretically separated by blot transferring from the electrophoresis gel to strips of nitrocellulose paper, followed by labeling with antibody probes.	Immunoblotting, Western,Western Blotting,Western Immunoblotting,Blot, Western,Immunoblot, Western,Western Blot,Western Immunoblot,Blots, Western,Blottings, Western,Immunoblots, Western,Immunoblottings, Western,Western Blots,Western Blottings,Western Immunoblots,Western Immunoblottings
D015483	HIV Antibodies	Antibodies reactive with HIV ANTIGENS.	AIDS Antibodies,HIV-Associated Antibodies,HTLV-III Antibodies,HTLV-III-LAV Antibodies,LAV Antibodies,Lymphadenopathy-Associated Antibodies,T-Lymphotropic Virus Type III Antibodies, Human,HIV Associated Antibodies,HTLV III Antibodies,HTLV III LAV Antibodies,Lymphadenopathy Associated Antibodies,T Lymphotropic Virus Type III Antibodies, Human,Antibodies, AIDS,Antibodies, HIV,Antibodies, HIV Associated,Antibodies, HIV-Associated,Antibodies, HTLV III,Antibodies, HTLV-III,Antibodies, HTLV-III-LAV,Antibodies, LAV,Antibodies, Lymphadenopathy Associated,Antibodies, Lymphadenopathy-Associated
D015658	HIV Infections	Includes the spectrum of human immunodeficiency virus infections that range from asymptomatic seropositivity, thru AIDS-related complex (ARC), to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).	HTLV-III Infections,HTLV-III-LAV Infections,T-Lymphotropic Virus Type III Infections, Human,HIV Coinfection,Coinfection, HIV,Coinfections, HIV,HIV Coinfections,HIV Infection,HTLV III Infections,HTLV III LAV Infections,HTLV-III Infection,HTLV-III-LAV Infection,Infection, HIV,Infection, HTLV-III,Infection, HTLV-III-LAV,Infections, HIV,Infections, HTLV-III,Infections, HTLV-III-LAV,T Lymphotropic Virus Type III Infections, Human