Rapid detection and differentiation of antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2 using multivalent antigens and magnetic immunochromatography testing.

A simplified lateral-flow assay for the detection of antibodies to HIV using magnetic-bead conjugates and multibranched peptides from both HIV-1 and HIV-2 was developed. Magnetic immunochromatography testing (MICT) uses a standard lateral-flow platform that incorporates magnetic-bead conjugates for quantitative measurement of the magnetic field distortion associated with the bound magnetic conjugate (reported as adjusted relative magnetic units [MAR]). The results of the optimized MICT assay were compared to standard enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and Western blotting (WB) results using a blinded 649-member panel of specimens from the United States, Cameroon, and West Africa.

Rapid detection of HIV-1 p24 antigen using magnetic immuno-chromatography (MICT).

Detection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections has been enhanced by incorporating p24 antigen detection with current HIV antibody detection using enzyme immunoassays (EIAs). However, screening for HIV antibodies has increased through the use of rapid, lateral-flow HIV antibody detection assays that currently do not have the capability to detect HIV p24 antigen. In this report, a lateral-flow based assay using super-paramagnetic particles as the detection marker was developed for the detection of HIV-1 p24 antigen.