SIGNIFICANCE OF INDETERMINATE REACTIVITY TO HUMAN T-CELL LYMPHOTROPICVIRUS IN WESTERN-BLOT-ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUALS AT RISK

Current tests to confirm human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) infect ion in individuals at risk of retroviral infection commonly yield inde terminate results. To assess the significance of HTLV-seroindeterminat e reactivities in a high-risk population, 16 at-risk individuals who h ad this serologic pattern by Western blot were studied using a polymer ase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I I infection was confirmed by the presence of virus-specific nucleic ac id in four patients. However, PCR analysis was negative in the remaini ng 12 individuals. These results indicate strongly that all specimens from at-risk individuals with nondiagnostic HTLV reactivity by current Western blot assay should continue to be considered inconclusive, req uiring further testing by more sensitive tests.