Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty Hospital HIV-1/-2 Serological Test Data: 2019-2022 Retrospective Evaluation

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to retrospectively discuss the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) scanning and verification test results and demographics of patients who were admitted to the Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty’s Medical Microbiology Laboratory Center Serology/ELISA division with suspected HIV infection or pre-operative serologic screening. In addition, the study aimed to compare HIV seroprevalence with data from the center’s previous period. Materials and Methods: HIV-1/-2 antibody +P24 antigen (HIV-1/-2 Ab/Ag) was studied routinely using the chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) method with the same method also being used as the second repeat test. The sera verifications of patients who showed repeated reactivity after the HIV Ab/Ag test were studied using the line immunoassay (LIA) method. Results: The study retrospectively studied 156,542 cases between 2019-2022, of which 237 (0.17%) showed repeated anti-HIV-1/-2 reactivity. From the repeated reactivity serum samples, LIA testing was performed to confirm the remaining 181 serum samples after excluding the previously confirmed samples, with 175 (96.6%) coming back positive. All these samples showed sgp120 and gp41 band positivity, thus confirming HIV1 positivity. Conclusion: These retrospective data from one center regarding HIV seroprevalence for the 2019-2022 period are in line with other national studies. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HIV prevalence during this period may have been higher than detected. HIV prevalence in Istanbul, being a cosmopolitan city that receives immigrants, should be monitored in the future.