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World Health Organization quality assessment programme on HIV testing.
J J Snell1, E M Supran, J Esparza
1Division of Microbiological Reagents and Quality Control, Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale, London, UK.
AIDS (London, England)
|August 1, 1990
Summary
This study assessed HIV-1 antibody testing accuracy across national labs. While positive samples were highly accurate, significant errors occurred with negative samples, highlighting variability in HIV testing protocols.
Area of Science:
- Medical Laboratory Science
- Immunology
- Virology
Background:
- Accurate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) serology is crucial for diagnosis and public health.
- Standardization of HIV-1 antibody testing procedures among reference laboratories is essential for reliable results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance and consistency of HIV-1 antibody testing among national reference laboratories.
- To identify variations in testing methodologies and their impact on diagnostic accuracy.
Main Methods:
- A blinded serum panel with known HIV-1 antibody status (5 positive, 14 negative) was distributed to 30 national reference laboratories.
- Participants used their routine testing procedures to analyze the serum panel.
- Results from 28 participating laboratories were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- A high average success rate of 99% was achieved for correctly identifying positive HIV-1 antibody samples.
- Lower accuracy was observed for negative samples, with an average correct negative report rate of 87%.
- Significant variability existed in the number and combinations of assays used, with no two laboratories employing identical multi-test strategies.
Conclusions:
- While HIV-1 antibody testing demonstrates high sensitivity for positive samples, accuracy for negative samples requires improvement.
- Variations in laboratory testing protocols contribute to inconsistencies in HIV-1 serological results.
- Further standardization and quality control measures are recommended for HIV-1 antibody testing in reference laboratories.