ASSESSMENT OF SUITABILITY AND EASE OF PERFORMANCE OF 7 COMMERCIAL ASSAY SYSTEMS FOR THE DETECTION OF ANTIBODIES TO HIV-1

In this study, we have evaluated the suitability and ease of performan ce of seven HIV assays namely: Vironostika anti-HIV Uni-Form; Vironost ika HIV MIXT; Elavia MIXT; Genelavia MIXT; Serodia-HIV; Immunocomb Bi- spot; and Test pack HIV-1 and 2 Abbott, for use in Indian laboratories . A panel of 41 blind coded Western blot confirmed sera were used for this purpose. Rapid assays like Immunocomb Bi-Spot, Serodia HIV and Te st pack HIV 1/HIV-2 Abbott were found to be more suitable and easy to perform as compared to the ELISAs. Sensitivity of ail the assays was e xcellent (100%), Specificity of Serodia HIV, Immunocomb Bi-spot, Test pack HIV-1 and 2 Abbott and Elavia MIXT were excellent (100%), while t hat of Vironostika MIXT and Vironostika anti-HIV Uni-Form was poor. Po sitive predictive value of the assays ranged from 64.5 to 100 per cent . Negative predictive value of six of the assays was 100 per cent and that of Vironostika anti-HIV Uni-Form was very poor.