Abstract
Antibodies to Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2) were investigated, using site-directed enzyme immunoassay (ELISA), in 320 specimens obtained from three remote, African tribes during 1969–1971. Using HIV-1 E34/E32 ELISA and HIV-2 149 ELISA, assays were conducted on 101 serum specimens from the Korekore tribe of Zimbabwe, 93 specimens from the Mano tribe of Liberia, and 126 specimens from the Turkana tribe of Kenya; specimens which tested positive in ELISA were further tested by radioimmunoprecipation assay (RIPA) and Western blot (WB). Two serum specimens from the Mano tribe of Liberia gave OD 492 nm values greater than 0.2 in HIV E34/E32 ELISA in all three runs. These two specimens reacted with HIV-1 envelope proteins gp160 and gp120 and the internal protein p24 in RIPA and WB; however, the reactivity was uncostant. All other serum specimens were negative for HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies. Site directed ELISA serology for HIV-1 and HIV-2 gave very low rates of false positive reactivity. Thus, reaction with HIV-1 antigen was identified in two persons of one tribe in Liberia in 1971, but HIV-2 antibodies were not detected in this tribe; HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies were absent during the late 1960's and early 1970's from two African tribes resident in Zimbabwe and Kenya.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
AlbertJ., BredbergU., ChiodiF., BöttigerB., FenyöE.M., NorrbyE., BiberfeldG.: A new pathogenic human retrovirus of West African origin (SBL-6669) and its relationship to HTLV-IV, LAV-II and HTLV-IIIB. AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses 3: 3–10, 1987.
AndersonN., MufsonM.A.: Viral antibodies the Turkana people of Northern Kenia. - Trop. geogr. Med. 24: 168–177, 1972.
BiberfeldG., Bredberg-RädenU., BöttigerB., PutkonenP.O., BlombergJ., JutoP., WadellJ: Blood donor sera with false positive Western blot reactions to human immunodeficiency virus. - The Lancet ii: 289–290, 1986.
BiggarR.J.: Possible nonspecific association between malaria and HTLV-III/LAV. - N. Engl. J. Med. 315 (7): 457, 1986.
BiggarR.J., GigaseP.L., MelbyeM., KestensL., SarinP.S., BodnerA.J., DemedtsP., StevensW.J., PalukuL., DelacolletteC., BlattnerW.A.: ELISA HTLV retrovirus antibody reactivity associated with malaria and immune complexes in healthy Africans. - The Lancet ii: 520–523, 1985.
CarswellJ.W.: HIV infection in healthy persons in Uganda. - AIDS 1 (4): 223–227, 1987.
ChiodiF., von GegerfeldtA., AlbertJ., FenyöE.M., GainesH., von SydowM., BiberfeldG., ParksE., NorrbyE.: Site-directed ELISA with synthetic peptides representing the HIV transmembrane glycoprotein. - J. Med. Virol. 23: 1–9, 1987.
ChiodiF., Bredberg-RådenU., BibergeldG., BöttigerB., AlbertJ., ÅsjöB., FenyoE.M., NorrbyE.: Radioimmunoprecipitation and Western with sera of human immunodeficiency virus infected patients: A comparative study. - AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses 3: 165–176, 1987.
ClavelF.GuétardD., Brun-VézinetF., ChamaretS., ReyM.A., Santos-FerreiraM.O., LaurentA.G., DauguetC., KatlamaC., RouziouxC., KlatzmannD., ChampalimaudJ.L., MontagnierL.: Isolation of a new human retrovirus from West-African patients with AIDS. - Science 223: 343–346, 1986.
IllmanD., MufsonM.A.: Viral antibodies in the Korekore Tribe of Northern Rhodesia. - Trop. Geogr. Med. 23: 64–70, 1971.
KankiP., M'BoupS., RicardD., BarinF., DenisF., BoyeC., SangareL., TraversK., AlbaumM., MarlinkR., Romet-LemonneJ.L., EssexM: Human T-lymphotropic virus type 4 and the human immunodeficiency virus in West Africa. - Science 236: 827–831, 1987.
KankiP.J., BarinF., M'BoupS., AllanJ.S., Romet-LemonneJ.L., MarlinkR., McLaneM.F., LeeT.H., ArbeilleB., DeniseF., EssexM.: New Human T-lymphotropic retrovirus type III (STLV-IIIagm). -Science 232: 238–243, 1986.
MhaluF., Bredberg-RådenU., MbenaE., PallangyoK., KiangoJ., MbiseR., NyamuryekungeK., BiberfeldG.: Prevalence of HIV infection in healthy subjects and groups of patients in Tanzania. - AIDS 1 (4):217–221, 1987.
NahmiasA.J., WeissJ., YaoX., LeeF., KodsiR., SchanfieldM., MatthewsT., BolognesiD., DurackD., MotulskyA., KankiP., EssexM.: Evidence for human infection with an HTLV III/LAV-like virus in Central Africa, 1959. - The Lancet i: 1279–1280, 1986.
NorrbyE., BiberfeldG., ChiodiF., von GegerfeldtA., NauclérA., ParksE., LernerR.: Discrimination between antibodies to HIV and to related retroviruses using-directed serology. - Nature 329, 248–250, 1987.
Quinn T.C., Mann J.H., Currant J.W., Piot P.: AIDS in Africa: an epidemiological paradigm. — Science 234: 955–963, 234.
SmithR.S., NasoR.B., RosenJ., WhalleyA., HomY.L., HoeyK., KennedyC.J., McCutchanJ.A., SpectorS.A., RichmanD.D.: Antibody to a synthetic oligopeptide in subjects at risk for Human Immunodeficiency virus infection. - J. Clin. Microbiol. 25 (8): 1498–1504, 1987.
Van RekenD., MufsonM.A.: Viral antibodies in the Mano Tribe of Northern Liberia. - Trop. Geogr. Med. 24: 303–310, 1972.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Corresponding author.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chiodi, F., Biberfeld, G., Parks, E. et al. Screening of African sera stored for more than 17 years for HIV antibodies by site-directed serology. Eur J Epidemiol 5, 42–46 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00145043
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00145043