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close this bookGuidelines to Antiretroviral Drug Therapy in Kenya (WHO; 2001; 78 pages)
View the documentFOREWORD
View the documentACKNOWLEDGMENT
close this folderCHAPTER ONE: INITIATING ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY
View the document1.1 Introduction
View the document1.2 Guidelines to making a diagnosis of HIV infection
View the document1.3 Laboratory Diagnosis of HIV infection
View the document1.4 Goals of therapy
View the document1.5 When to start therapy
View the document1.6 Risks and benefits of delayed initiation of therapy and of early therapy in the Asymptomatic HIV-Infected Patient
View the document1.7 Antiretroviral profile
View the document1.8 What drug combination to start with?
Open this folder and view contentsCHAPTER TWO: MONITORING AND CHANGING THERAPY
Open this folder and view contentsCHAPTER THREE: PHARMACOTHERAPEUTICS OF ARVS
Open this folder and view contentsCHAPTER FOUR: GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS IN PAEDIATRIC HIV INFECTION
Open this folder and view contentsCHAPTER FIVE: MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) INFECTED PREGNANT WOMEN AND PREVENTION OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION (MTCT) OF HIV
Open this folder and view contentsCHAPTER SIX: SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Open this folder and view contentsCHAPTER SEVEN: WHEN TO STOP TREATMENT (INTERRUPTIONS)
Open this folder and view contentsCHAPTER EIGHT: GUIDELINES FOR POST EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS
View the documentCHAPTER NINE: ACCESS TO DRUGS IN KENYA
Open this folder and view contentsAPPENDICES
View the documentBACK COVER
 

1.3 Laboratory Diagnosis of HIV infection

Laboratory testing for the diagnosis of HIV infection can be divided into four main categories:

• Antibody detection
• Antigen detection
• Testing for viral nucleic acid (RNA or PRO DNA)
• Culturing for the virus


Elisa antibody detection is the serological screening test used often to detect HIV Infection.

Third generation ELISA's, which use recombinant antigens, are highly specific and highly sensitive. It is therefore recommended that for laboratory diagnosis of HIV infection, two ELISA'S for antibody detection should be done, one for screening and the other for confirmation. The two have to be positive for one to make a laboratory diagnosis of HIV - 1 infection. In the event that one ELISA is positive and another negative, testing for viral nucleic acid (polymorase chain reaction - PCR) can be used for confirmation of the serostatus or Western blot assays.

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