Abstract

BACKGROUND: Follow-up studies from the mid-1980s showed that 1 to 5 percent of blood donors testing reactive in anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and testing indeterminate in Western blot were infected with HIV-1 and were in the process of seroconverting. The present study was conducted to establish the rate of HIV infection among contemporary anti-HIV-1/HIV type 2 (HIV-2) EIA-reactive, Western blot-indeterminate donors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Donations (n = 607) with indeterminate HIV supplemental test results were identified by screening 3,021,342 donations given from November 1990 through August 1993 at five participating blood centers. Consenting donors were enrolled and samples taken 4 to 8 weeks after donation. Follow-up sera were tested by EIA and Western blot for anti-HIV-1 seroconversion and by type-specific peptide assays for antibodies to HIV-2 and HIV-1 subtype O. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and/or plasma from the follow-up samples were tested for HIV-1 DNA and/or RNA by polymerase chain reaction. The rate of HIV-1 infection among Western blot-indeterminate donors was also estimated by multiplying the incidence rate of HIV-1 seroconversion in this donor population by the estimated duration of the EIA-reactive and Western blot-indeterminate window during seroconversion (8.5 days). RESULTS: Supplemental test-indeterminate donors (n = 355) enrolled a median of 38 days after donation; 265 (75%) of these donors were identified as indeterminate after an anti-HIV-1/2 EIA-reactive donation. Enrolled and non-enrolled donors had similar distributions of demographic characteristics and band patterns. Follow-up samples from all 355 donors tested negative for HIV-1 in polymerase chain reaction. Follow-up sera tested Western blot-negative in 54 cases (15%) and Western blot-indeterminate in 299 (84%). Two follow-up sera (0.6%) were interpreted, according to manufacturer's package insert criteria, as Western blot positive with p24 and gp41 bands and/or gp120/160 bands; however, paired testing of index and follow-up sera from these two cases showed identical Western blot and EIA reactivity, and polymerase chain reaction was negative for HIV RNA and DNA, which ruled out HIV infection. The absence of HIV infection in 355 Western blot-indeterminate donors was consistent with our incidence-based model analysis, which yielded an estimate of one HIV-1 infection for every 215 Western blot-indeterminate donations (95% CI, 1/39-1/8333). CONCLUSION: Contemporary blood donors classified as indeterminate in supplemental HIV testing are infrequently infected with HIV. Donors whose follow-up samples test negative in anti-HIV-1/2 EIAs and negative or persistently indeterminate in Western blots should be considered eligible for reinstatement.