Western blot

Western blot

A technique developed in 1979 that is used to confirm ELISA results. HIV antigen is purified by electrophoresis and attached by blotting to a nylon or nitrocellulose filter. The patient's serum is reacted against the filter, followed by treatment with developing chemicals that allow HIV antibody to show up as a colored patch or blot. If the patient is HIV-positive, there will be stripes at specific locations for two or more viral proteins. A negative result is blank.

Mentioned in: AIDS Tests

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Western blot,

n.pr a confirmatory test for HIV exposure that identifies antibodies to HIV proteins and glycoproteins.

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Western blot

an immunologic technique for the detection of proteins using a radioactive probe. Called also Western transfer.

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Western blot

Immunoblot Molecular diagnostics An assay that IDs antibodies to proteins of specific molecular weights, used to confirm HIV infection–after a positive ELISA screening assay, Lyme disease. See Blot, Electrophoresis, Protein. Cf Northern blot, Southern blot.