Application of a rapid assay for detection of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus in urine.

The use of rapid, simple tests to detect antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in urine could be valuable for several testing situations, such as in private offices, for epidemiologic surveys, and in developing countries. The authors evaluated the performance of the SUDS HIV type 1 test to detect antibody to HIV-1 peptides in urine. Test performance and applicability of the SUDS test were compared with a routine Food and Drug Administration-licensed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot using 139 serum and urine pairs collected from autopsy cases. Using a modified procedure when testing urine by the SUDS test, results indicated that a total of 15 serum/urine pairs were HIV-1 antibody positive by both the SUDS test and ELISA; all could be confirmed positive by Western blot. One sample produced discrepant results. The SUDS test produced no false-positive results when testing serum or urine, as compared with ELISA, and no false-negative results when compared with the Western blot. For optimal accuracy of detection of antibodies using urine, at least 100 microL of sample was required. By Western blot analysis, antibody profiles in urine were generally weaker than in serum, but confirmation of positivity was not compromised when larger volumes were used. The authors concluded that this rapid HIV-1 test, when used to detect antibodies to HIV-1 in urine, is accurate, easy to perform, and appropriate for use in certain testing situations.