Use of the Bio-Rad Geenius HIV-1/2 supplemental assay for the testing of oral fluids for the presence of HIV antibody.

There is currently an absence of products which are cleared by the FDA to provide supplemental testing for oral fluid for HIV antibody. We created a procedure for the use of the BioRad Geenius HIV-1/2 as a supplemental antibody test for oral fluid specimens. The modified procedure was evaluated for its ability to detect HIV-1 antibody in oral fluid in specimens that were found to be repeatedly reactive for HIV-1 antibody by way of the Avioq HIV-1 enzyme immunoassay (EIA).

Antibody detection by agglutination-PCR (ADAP) enables early diagnosis of HIV infection by oral fluid analysis.

Oral fluid (OF) is a highly effective substrate for population-based HIV screening efforts, as it is noninfectious and significantly easier to collect than blood. However, anti-HIV antibodies are found at far lower concentrations in OF compared with blood, leading to poor sensitivity and a longer period of time from infection to detection threshold. Thus, despite its inherent advantages in sample collection, OF is not widely used for population screening.