Short communication, Note
Blood-Stained Letter Received by HIV/AIDS Reference Laboratory in 1993 – A Historical Case Report
Polona J. Maver
Andrej Žmitek
Katja Seme
Mario Poljak
Abstract
We describe an interesting historical case of a blood-stained letter received in 1993 by Slovenian HIV/AIDS Reference
Laboratory. According to the statement of the sender, the letter was spotted with HIV-infected blood. The polymerase
chain reaction (PCR) amplification with two gag and env primer sets excluded the presence of HIV proviral DNA in the
spot punches obtained from the dried blood spots. Although the presence of HIV DNA was confirmed in 5 positive control
blood spots using the same sets of primers, we still doubted in the accuracy of the HIV negative result. Fortunately, we obtained
a serum sample of the author of the letter four months later from a psychiatric institution where he was hospitalized
for paranoid schizophrenia. Since no anti HIV-1/2 antibodies were detected in his serum sample, our initial HIV
negative findings based on PCR testing of blood spots were confirmed.
Keywords
human immunodeficiency virus; HIV; polymerase chain reaction; blood spot; blood stain
Hrčak ID:
27706
URI
Publication date:
25.4.2006.
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