Detection of SIV antigens by HIV-1 antigen capture immunoassays

We tested three commercially available HIV-1 antigen capture systems for their ability to detect simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV). All three kits detected antigens from six distinct SIV isolates, but with varying degrees of sensitivity. For the overall detection of SIV in cell culture, our assay for reverse transcriptase was more sensitive than HIV-1 antigen capture. HIV-1 antigen capture systems were useful for the detection of SIV antigenemia in experimentally infected macaques. The limited sensitivity of HIV-1-specific antigen capture suggests that SIV-specific antigen capture reagents should be developed.