       Document 0240
 DOCN  M9640240
 TI    Use of dried blood spots for the detection and confirmation of HTLV-I
       specific antibodies for epidemiological purposes.
 DT    9604
 AU    Parker SP; Taylor MB; Ades AE; Cubitt WD; Peckham C; Department of
       Virology, Institute of Child Health, London.
 SO    J Clin Pathol. 1995 Oct;48(10):904-7. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96138153
 AB    AIMS--To modify and evaluate a gelatin particle agglutination test that
       could provide a sensitive, specific and inexpensive method for the
       detection of HTLV-I antibody in dried blood spot samples (DBS) collected
       on filter paper. METHODS--A set of 26 reference samples confirmed as
       HTLV-I antibody positive were assembled from patients with tropical
       spastic paraparesis or adult T cell leukaemia and blood donors. Serum
       samples and simulated antibody positive dried blood spot eluates were
       tested using the Serodia assay together with two confirmatory tests:
       HTLV BLOT 2.3, a western blot, and Select-HTLV, an enzyme immunoassay
       (EIA). Both confirmatory tests use synthetic peptides to differentiate
       between antibodies to HTLV-I and -II. The modified Serodia assay was
       then used to test anonymously 10,135 DBS collected from neonates from
       London. Samples reactive in the modified Serodia test producing a
       positive result were titrated to an end point and confirmed as before.
       RESULTS--All 26 eluates made from simulated DBS derived from positive
       reference samples were identified as positive by the modified Serodia
       HTLV-I test and were confirmed as anti-HTLV-I positive by EIA. Two
       eluates derived from relatively low titre reference samples gave
       indeterminate results on western blotting. Screening of the 10,135
       neonatal DBS resulted in six repeat reactives, five of which were
       confirmed. The remaining reactive sample gave an indeterminate result on
       western blotting and there was insufficient eluate for testing by EIA.
       The overall seroprevalence of HTLV-I in this population was 0.05% (five
       of 10,135). CONCLUSION--The modified Serodia HTLV-I assay provides a
       sensitive, specific and inexpensive (10 pence/test) method for screening
       large numbers of DBS. The format of the assay makes it ideally suited
       for simultaneous screening of antibodies to HIV-1, HIV-2 and HTLV-I
       using semi-automated equipment.
 DE    Adult  Agglutination Tests/STANDARDS  Human  HTLV-I Antibodies/*BLOOD
       Infant, Newborn  Serodiagnosis/*METHODS/STANDARDS  Support, Non-U.S.
       Gov't  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

