Introduction

The early diagnosis of HIV infection is at the center of patient management, treatment success, and societal health. Antibody tests for H  IV had been the most commonly used method of testing for many years and were resulting in missed early-stage infections because of the long-window periods. The 4th Generation HIV 1 & HIV 2 ELISA has come into the picture, and with it, the diagnostic accuracy and early detection of infections have gone hand in hand. This generation of ELISA tests is capable of spotting HIV cases much sooner than through the older methods and has become the favored option among laboratories, hospitals, and blood banks.

Astam Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd., one of the reliable manufacturers of diagnostic kits and medical devices, has put on the market a super dependable Pratham 4th Gen HIV 1 & 2 ELISA kit that is meant for flawless execution in gauging large and small-scale HIV testing.

What is the 4th Generation HIV ELISA?

The Pratham 4th Gen HIV 1 & HIV 2 ELISA is a state-of-the-art enzyme-based immunoassay that is able to determine the presence of both :

• HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies (IgG, IgM, and IgA)
  
  
• HIV-1 p24 antigen
  
  

The major benefit of Pratham 4th Gen tests is that they can combine detection of both antigens and antibodies which helps in giving a much shorter diagnosis period than the older ones and thus the p24 antigen which is a marker of acute infection often appears within 2-3 weeks after infection. The combined detection of antigen and antibodies helps the Pratham 4th Gen ELISA test to identify acute HIV infections that otherwise would have been missed by the older tests.

The test is suitable for human serum and plasma, hence its usage is not a problem in the standard laboratory workflow.

Why Early p24 Antigen Detection Matters

HIV p24 antigen presence in the bloodstream indicates the very beginning of the viral replication process. Detection of this antigen is very important due to the following reasons :

• Acute HIV infection is the period of maximum transmissibility, and thus, early detection has a significant impact on the reduction of new infections.
  
  
• Quiet but effective antiretroviral therapy will lead to better health over the long run.
  
  
• Recently infected individuals can be diagnosed by doctors even before the presence of antibodies.
  
  
• Blood transfusions are safe, since the early infected persons are most likely to be not diagnosed.
  
  

The Pratham 4th Generation ELISA test completes the diagnostic picture by detecting the antigen and antibody phases of infection.