{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,10]],"date-time":"2026-04-10T13:12:48Z","timestamp":1775826768744,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,27]],"date-time":"2021-07-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1627344000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100001316","name":"Abbott Laboratories","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Editing and publishing of the results"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Editing and publishing of the results"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100001316","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>To assess the use of fourth-generation rapid diagnostic tests in identifying acute infection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>BCN Checkpoint promotes sexual health among men who have sex with men (MSM), with a focus on diagnosing HIV early, initiating combined antiretroviral treatment (cART) promptly, and recommending regular repeat testing for those who have tested negative. This cross-sectional study included all test results obtained at the centre between 25 March 2016 and 24 March 2019. The <jats:italic>Alere\u2122 HIV Combo<\/jats:italic> (now rebranded to <jats:italic>Determine\u2122 HIV Ultra<\/jats:italic>, <jats:italic>from Abbott<\/jats:italic>) was used to detect p24 antigen (p24 Ag) and\/or immunoglobulin M (IgM) and G (IgG) antibodies to HIV-1\/HIV-2 (HIV Ab). Rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmatory testing and Western blot (WB) were performed for clients with a positive rapid test result. Confirmed HIV cases were promptly referred to the HIV unit for care and cART prescription.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>A total of 12,961 clients attended BCN Checkpoint during the study and 27,298 rapid tests were performed. 450 tests were found to be reactive, of which 430 confirmed as HIV-positive, representing a prevalence of 3.32%. Four confirmed cases (0.93%) were detected as \u201cp24 Ag only\u201d, nine (2.09%) as \u201cboth p24 and HIV Ab\u201d and 417 (96.98%) as \u201cHIV Ab only\u201d. The \u201cp24 Ag only\u201d group had a 1-log higher viral load than the other groups and initiated treatment on the following working day. Overall, there were 20 false-positive results (0.07% and 4.44% of total and reactive tests, respectively), of which 10 positive for \u201cp24 Ag only\u201d and 10 for \u201cHIV Ab only\u201d.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Four Acute HIV Infections (AHI), with very high viral loads, have been detected with the \u201cp24 Ag only\u201d while the HIV Ab were still absent. Referral to the HIV unit and initiation of cART on the following working day contributed to improving persons\u2019 health and to reduce HIV transmission chain.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0255065","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,27]],"date-time":"2021-07-27T17:23:01Z","timestamp":1627406581000},"page":"e0255065","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Use of fourth-generation rapid combined antigen and antibody diagnostic tests for the detection of acute HIV infection in a community centre for men who have sex with men, between 2016 and 2019"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8679-634X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jorge","family":"Saz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Albert","family":"Dalmau-Bueno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Michael","family":"Meulbroek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ferran","family":"Pujol","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Josep","family":"Coll","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"\u00c1ngel","family":"Herraiz-Tomey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"F\u00e9lix","family":"P\u00e9rez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giovanni","family":"Marazzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"H\u00e9ctor","family":"Taboada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1570-8012","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Dante R.","family":"Culqui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joan A.","family":"Cayl\u00e0","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"name":"BCN Checkpoint Working Group","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0255065.ref001","volume-title":"Global HIV statistics","author":"Joint United Nations program on AIDS\/HIV","year":"2019"},{"key":"pone.0255065.ref002","volume-title":"HIV epidemiology annual report 2018","author":"San Francisco Department of Public Health Population Health Division","year":"2019"},{"key":"pone.0255065.ref003","volume-title":"Annual epidemiological spotlight on HIV in London: 2017 data","author":"Public Health England","year":"2019"},{"key":"pone.0255065.ref004","volume-title":"La salut reproductiva a la ciutat de Barcelona. 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