Detection of antibodies to HTLV-III by ELISA in AIDS risk groups in Taiwan: a preliminary report.

A total of 2321 serum samples were collected from a variety of AIDS risk groups. The samples were tested for anti-HTLV-III using ELISA. Low prevalences of seropositivity were detected in the high-risk groups. Among 120 homosexuals/bisexuals, one seropositive suffering from full-blown AIDS was an American traveler. Another native homosexual who yielded a high ELISA reading was a "possible" AIDS. Three hemophiliacs with strongly positive reactions received injections of a U.S.-produced factor VIII; all are asymptomatic currently. A patient with hairy cell leukemia had a markedly elevated ELISA reading. Another patient with syphilis also had a markedly high reading, despite having no other known risk factor. Among the low-risk groups a patient who had suffered from oral candidiasis for eight years had no risk factor, yet he yielded repeatedly high ELISA readings. Another patient with a weak positive reaction was a symptomless blood donor. This preliminary study concludes that Taiwan is several years behind the U.S. and is at present not an endemic area for AIDS. To achieve successful AIDS control in the future, however, the homosexuals in Taiwan should change their sexual behavior now. Since many initially weakly-reactive samples became negative on repeated testing it appears that non-specific or false positive ELISA reactions occur frequently. Accordingly when ELISA is used for diagnostic purposes, additional confirming tests are mandatory.