Human immunodeficiency virus antibody screening in patients on renal replacement therapy: prevalence of...

Patients with terminal renal failure quite frequently receive blood transfusions on renal replacement therapy; therefore they are at increased risk of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We investigated sera from 380 patients on haemodialysis or with a renal transplant for anti-HIV, using commercially available enzyme immunoassays (EIA). Persistent EIA-positive sera were additionally examined by Western blot and ELAVIA test, a commercially available indirect EIA. We found 20 patients (5.3%) with a persistently positive EIA screening test. None gave a positive result with confirmatory tests. Cross-reacting leucocyte antibodies seemed to be responsible for most of these false-positive anti-HIV tests; 12 of 20 EIA-positive sera were found positive for HLA antibodies. Sera from patients on haemodialysis or with a renal transplant, particularly when multiply transfused, have to be investigated carefully before infection with HIV is confirmed.