Efficacy of early antiretroviral therapy 36 hours after HIV infection in one blood donor

BACKGROUND Discrepancies can occur with the use of clinical human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnostic reagents for the HIV window period (WP; time from RNA to antibody detection by diagnostic or blood screening assays). Antiretroviral therapy (ART) during acute HIV infection can impact HIV-specific antibodies, antigens, and DNA/RNA detection. In this study, an HIV WP blood donor who initiated ART was monitored, evaluating the immunological and nucleic acid testing (NAT) results for early ART and discussing the potential effects on blood safety. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS This was a follow-up study of a HIV WP donor detected 36 hours after high-risk sexual behavior, who was subsequently treated with ART. Immunological and NAT methods were comparatively analyzed. RESULTS The 4th generation HIV serologic assays were positive at Day 11, and the 3rd generation domestic anti-HIV assay was positive at Day 33. Individual donation (ID) NAT and minipool (MP) NAT of six samples were reactive, but 12-sample MP-NAT was nonreactive. ART resulted in a slow decline of HIV RNA, but HIV DNA was still detected on Day 757. CONCLUSION After ART, ID-NAT was more sensitive than MP-NAT or serologic detection; however, HIV DNA detection was more sensitive, with DNA but not RNA persistently detectable.