Western Blot Procedure for HIV: A Study on its Association with CD4 Cell Counts and Stages of Infection

The Western blot (WB) test is a crucial diagnostic tool used to detect antibodies against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Although the overall sensitivity and specificity of the WB test are high, there has been a significant difference in the timing of appearance of antibody bands and their intensities during different stages of HIV infection. In this study, we aimed to map various band patterns of Western blot results and determine whether the presence or absence of certain bands is associated with any specific stage of HIV infection.

We retrospectively analyzed 1,467 HIV-1 infected cases confirmed by WB test between January 2002 to July 2005. Our analysis revealed that correlation of CD4 cell counts with various uncommon band patterns showed that only 5.56% (4/72) had counts in the range of 200-500 cells/microl, whereas 45.83% and 48.61% had counts of more than 500 cells/microl.

Classification of WB reactive cases by the World Health Organization (WHO) clinical staging system showed that 38.45% (564/1467) were in Stage 1, 47.99% (704/1467) in stages 2 and 3, and 13.56% in stage 4.

Our study also found that the p31 band was the most frequently missing one, absent in 7.09% cases. Reactivity with all the bands was the most commonly observed WB pattern, occurring in 92.91% (1363/1467) of cases, whereas the other 7.09% showed uncommon band patterns.

For the interpretation of our WB results, we followed the guidelines recommended by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), India. Our findings suggest that different band patterns on Western blot results are associated with specific stages of HIV infection. The study highlights the importance of mapping various band patterns and correlating them with CD4 cell counts and stages of HIV infection for effective diagnosis and management of HIV patients.

In conclusion, our study demonstrates the value of Western blot procedure in understanding the association between different band patterns and stages of HIV infection. The results provide valuable insights into the diagnosis and monitoring of HIV patients, which can ultimately improve patient outcomes and public health.

Western blot procedure for hiv