NCJ Number
145751
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: (July 1993) Pages: 798-805
Date Published
1993
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A rapid assay method licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to detect HIV antibodies was evaluated by testing 414 serum samples collected sequentially from autopsy cases handled by Maryland's Chief Medical Examiner.
Abstract
The time of postmortem collection ranged from 8 to 30 hours, and all samples were tested for the presence of HIV antibodies using a rapid peptide microfiltration assay (SUDS HIV-1 test) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) licensed by the FDA. Samples yielding repeatedly reactive results were confirmed by Western blot. Of the 414 specimens, 23 or 5.6 percent produced reactive results by both SUDS and ELISA and were confirmed by Western blot. One additional sample was repeatedly reactive by ELISA but negative by the SUDS test. The sample produced an indeterminate profile by Western blot and was negative by several additional retroviral assays. Of 23 HIV-infected cases, 16 had risk factors for HIV infection; 19 were blacks, and 18 were male. The 10-minute SUDS test exhibited 100-percent sensitivity and 100-percent specificity in comparison to the FDA-licensed ELISA and Western blot assays for detecting HIV antibodies in autopsy serum specimens. 23 references and 5 tables