ORAL FLUID AS A SPECIMEN FOR DETECTION AND CONFIRMATION OF ANTIBODIESTO HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1

Paired serum and oral fluid specimens (n = 287) were collected with th e Omni-Sal device and were assayed for the presence of antibodies to h uman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) -Abbott 3A11, an Organon Teknika Corporation research-use-only test, a nd the Murex GACELISA-were used per the manufacturers' inserts or were modified slightly to accommodate the oral fluid specimens. Compared w ith serum Western blot (immunoblot) results, each EIA had a sensitivit y of 100% and the specificities were 89.6% for the Abbott 3A11 EIA, 96 .5% for the GACELISA, and 97.8% for the Organon Teknika Corporation EI A. Specificities based on specimens that were repeatedly reactive were 99.3% for all EIAs; A miniaturized Western blot technique used for co nfirmatory testing Of both the serum and oral fluid specimens found 14 9 of the 287 samples to be HIV-1 antibody positive in both sample type s. The Western blot banding patterns observed for the serum and oral f luid specimens were essentially identical. Immunoglobulin G concentrat ions were determined for all oral fluid specimens and ranged from <0.5 to >40.0 (mu g/ml. Immunoglobulin G concentrations did not correlate with the ability of any of the EIAs to detect HIV-1-specific antibody or with the ability of the modified Western blot to detect HIV-1 prote in-specific antibodies.