Reliability of the INSTI® rapid test for the diagnosis of HIV-1 non-B subtypes and recombinant variants.

Data regarding the efficacy of Rapid HIV tests (RHTs) in detecting non-B subtype HIV-1 are limited. We evaluated the sensitivity of the INSTI® test for the detection of HIV-1 antibodies for the diagnosis of HIV-1 non-B subtypes and recombinant variants. We identified adults with HIV-1 infection due to non-B subtypes and recombinant variants. The participants were re-tested with INSTI® test. We included 258 patients. Overall, the INSTI® test sensitivity was 98.4% (95%CI: 96.9-99.9%). For the major CRF_02AG subtype, the sensitivity was 99.0% (95%CI: 97.1-100%). The HIV INSTI® test is reliable for the detection of various non-B HIV-1 antibodies.