A 24-year-old man presents to the physician with an 8-week history of fevers, weight loss, sore throat, diarrhea, and arthralgias. Past medical history is unremarkable. He does not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes and has not had any recent travel. Physical examination reveals anterior cervical and axillary lymphadenopathy as well as pharyngeal edema and hyperemia. Laboratory tests are ordered, and primary screening has ruled in a diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
Which of the following biological materials is used for the standard confirmatory measure for HIV infection?
D) Protein
The confirmatory test of HIV is the Western blot, which evaluates HIV antibody protein. The screening test for HIV is the ELISA, which employs antibodies against antigens.
Answer choice A: CC-type chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) variant, is incorrect. CCR5 is a G protein-coupled receptor that is expressed on various cell populations including macrophages, dendritic cells, and memory T cells in the immune system. The receptor plays a role in the inflammatory response by directing cells to sites of inflammation. The HIV virus uses CCR5 during initial infection for entry into a host cell.
Answer choice B: Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), is incorrect. The Western blot does not use DNA to confirm HIV infection.
Answer choice C: H1 linker histone, is incorrect. H1 linker histone plays a dominant role in establishing the compaction state of an array of nucleosomes and influences the conformation, but it is not used to confirm HIV infection.
Answer choice E: Ribonucleic acid (RNA), is incorrect. The Western blot does not use RNA to confirm HIV infection.
Key Learning Point
The confirmatory test for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is the Western blot, which evaluates HIV antibody protein.
