Indeterminate human immunodeficiency virus western blot results in Iranian patients with discordant screening assay results

OBJECTIVE: The Western blot (WB) assay is the most widely accepted confirmatory assay for the detection and confirmation of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and 2 (HIV-2). However, indeterminate WB reactivity to HIV-1 and HIV-2 proteins may occur in individuals who do not appear to be infected with HIV.

METHODS: In this study, we describe the results of indeterminate WB reactivity in Iranian patients with discordant screening assays. The samples were obtained from the Iranian Blood Transfusion Center, Tehran, Iran and evaluated in the Biotechnology Process Development Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran between 2003 and 2004. A total of 4707 were tested for the presence of HIV-1 antibodies.

RESULTS: Six hundred and four (12.8%) patients tested for HIV were positive for HIV-1 antibody. Nine (1.49%) have discordant results among screening assays and indeterminate WB results as interpreted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria. Most (66.7%) of these indeterminate WB results were due to p24 reactivity. However, 2 (22.2%) display reactivity to both gp41 and gp120 proteins [Positive by World Health Organization (WHO) criteria]. Of 9 WB assays initially indeterminate by the CDC criteria and with follow-up samples, 8 (88.8%) became negative when retested subsequently while one (11.1%) remained indeterminate for more than a year and were thus considered negative. In addition, all the indeterminate samples were negative when assessed by polymerase chain reaction assay.

CONCLUSION: In general, there was an 88.8% concordance between the CDC and WHO criteria for an indeterminate WB result. The CDC II criteria best met the specified objectives for diagnosis in our setting.