Evaluation of SMARTube to detect HIV infection before seroconversion using standard methods

Acute-phase HIV infection is a highly infectious period, and identification of this interval level may reduce the risk of transmission to others. In prospective studies in South Africa and Vietnam, the use of the SMARTube, a test tube pretreated with a solution designed to stimulate vigorous antibody production, allowed early identification of some but not all acute HIV infections, with a positive predictive value of 27 percent. Larger studies are needed to evaluate SMARTube as an alternative to technically challenging and costly laboratory tests.