Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 proficiency testing. The American Association of Blood Banks/College of American Pathologists Program.

Abstract

The American Association of Blood Banks/College of American Pathologists Viral Marker Survey program added samples to evaluate participant performance with test systems for the detection of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in 1985. On the 80 challenges sent through April 1989, the major problem observed with enzyme immunoassay testing was unexpected reactivity on samples that did not contain anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1. One manufacturer's testing system accounted for most of the specificity problems. The sensitivity of the enzyme immunoassay for anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is close to 99%, based on the multiple reactive samples used on the 16 panels. Between 1985 and 1989, there was a 14-fold increase in participants reporting Western blot results. The introduction of a licensed system for Western blots increased the number of samples that contained antibody to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 interpreted as indeterminate. Answers to supplementary questions showed that the rate of repeatably reactive and confirmed positives on blood donors dropped to less than 0.1%.