ABSTRACT
Objective:To test the HIV virus nucleic acid using immunoblot method (Western blotting, WB) and to follow-up with the negative and indeterminate samples in the Dujiangyan area, compare the WB and nucleic acid results before and after followed-up, and try to reduce the WB band′s false-negatives and false-positives.Methods:The 286 suspected HIV infection samples in the Dujiangyan region from January to October 2021 were confirmed by WB, the HIV virus load were tested for the samples that were WB negative and WB indeterminate, those patients were followed-up with epidemiological history and viral load results, and the results before and after tracking were compared.Results:In the 286 samples of suspected HIV infection included in this study, we reported 213 (74.48%) WB positive, 37 WB negative (12.94%), and 36 WB indeterminate (12.58%); 10 of 37 WB negative samples were followed-up; 18 of 36 WB indeterminate samples were followed-up. Among the followed-up WB negative and indeterminate samples, 17 of them had virus nucleic acid detection prior to the follow-up, and all of them turned positive after following-up. The others with no previous virus nucleic acid detection were confirmed to be negative.Conclusions:Among the followed-up samples, 2 samples were false-negative in WB negative results, and 3 were false-positive in WB indeterminate results. The viral nucleic acid must be tested and followed-up in WB negative and indeterminate samples.