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Published on: December 27, 2010
Resolution of a False-Positive Fourth-Generation HIV Screening Test by Polyethylene Glycol Precipitation: A Case
Mel-Marie Datka1, Whitney Fuller1, Hennessy Williams2
1Department of Pathology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Science
|July 23, 2026
Summary
Fourth generation human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antigen/antibody assays offer early detection but can yield false positives. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation resolved a discordant HIV test, suggesting PEG-precipitable immune interference caused the false reactivity.
Area of Science:
- Clinical diagnostics
- Immunology
- Virology
Background:
- Fourth-generation human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antigen/antibody (Ag/Ab) assays provide sensitive early HIV detection.
- Rare instances of false-positive results can occur due to immunoassay interference.
