BOEHRINGER MANNHEIM MODULAR TEST CONCEPTS IN HIV AND HEPATITIS IMMUNOASSAYS

Anti-HIV-antibody and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-antibody screening tests have to be able to detect a variety of virus antibodies. On the other hand, HIV-antigen specific antibody tests that detect only one kind o f antibody are needed for prognosis of disease or for distinguishing i nfection by different virus subtypes. Usually in an enzyme-linked immu nosorbent assay for each individual test an individual solid phase has to be created. For our Boehringer Mannheim Enzymun-Test(R) Diagnostic s Assay we used a single universal biotin-binding solid phase in all t ests and biotin-labeled specific antigens for the individual tests. Th e modular system for the antibody tests is a convenient tool for the d evelopment of a broad test menu for different viruses. We show that th e modular system is suited for screening tests for HIV1, HIV2, or HCV antibodies, as as well as for virus typing or for detection of HIV/p24 -specific antibodies in a quantitative assay with high precision.