Determination of zidovudine concentration in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and by time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay

Article Abstract:

Between 1985 and 1986, the drug zidovudine (also known as AZT) was shown to inhibit the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and it is used currently to treat acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC), which are caused by HIV infection. Two chemical methods, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and radioimmunoassay (RIA), have been used to determine the levels of zidovudine in body fluids. Two immunological methods, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TR-FIA), which do not involve the use of radioactivity, were developed to determine zidovudine levels in the body. These newly developed methods may be well suited for laboratories not licensed to use radioactivity. Both ELISA and TR-FIA measure anti-AZT antibodies, which are immune system proteins that specifically bind to the drug AZT or zidovudine. Levels of AZT detected by anti-AZT antibody are then quantified by alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity in ELISA, and by degree of fluorescence, the emission of light upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation, in TR-FIA. The results show that the range of AZT levels that could be detected by ELISA was 125 to 4,000 nanomolar AZT, and by TR-FIA, 5 to 4,000 nanomolar. The speed and sensitivity of TR-FIA make it generally preferable to ELISA. Results obtained by ELISA, TR-FIA, HPLC, and RIA were consistent. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Immunofluorescence, Fluorescent antibody technique

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Determination of the etiology of seroreversals in HIV testing by antibody fingerprinting

Article Abstract:

Antibody fingerprinting may be an effective method for examining blood samples from individuals with seroreversal from HIV-positive to HIV-negative. This assay examines the antibodies in a pair of blood samples to determine whether they are from the same individual. Antibody fingerprinting was used to examine 15 pairs of seroreversal blood samples from a large-scale screening program of 711,684 military personal by the US Army between Jan 1990 and May 1991. Among 15 seroreversal pairs, 42% had different antibody fingerprints. Different antibody fingerprints indicate that the two blood samples are from different individuals. Some individuals who are tested in a large-scale screening program may have false-positive HIV test results. US Army personnel are required to undergo testing on two separate occasions to rule out this possibility.

HIV testing, HIV tests, Antibodies, HIV seropositivity, HIV positive

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Pharmacokinetics and extracellular distribution to blood, brain, and muscle of alovudine (3'-fluorothymidine) and zidovudine in the rat studied by microdialysis

Article Abstract:

The experimental AIDS drug alovudine may be metabolized more slowly than zidovudine by the body and thus may be more effective. Studies in monkeys have shown that alovudine is 10 times more effective than zidovudine. Dialysis probes were used to measure the distribution and metabolism of these drugs in 11 rats. Six were injected with alovudine and five with zidovudine. Both drugs reached their maximum concentration in blood, muscle and brain in the same amount of time, but alovudine was metabolized more slowly than zidovudine. The half-life of zidovudine in blood and muscle was 37 minutes, but that of alovudine was approximately 60 minutes. In brain, zidovudine had a half-life of 69 minutes, but alovudine had a half-life of 105 minutes.

Cerebrospinal fluid

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