Patent ID: 8722324

Claim:
A method for detecting the presence, or measuring the concentration, of an anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (anti-HIV-1) antibody in a biological sample of a human, wherein said method comprises conducting an immunoassay comprising the steps of: (a) contacting said biological sample with a non-immobilized peptide having an epitope that is recognized by said anti-HIV-1 antibody, said contacting being under conditions sufficient to permit said anti-HIV-1 antibody if present in said sample to bind to said epitope and form a peptide-anti-HIV-1 antibody complex; (b) contacting said formed peptide-anti-HIV-1 antibody complex with an anti-HIV-1 antibody binding molecule that is immobilized on a solid support, said contacting being under conditions sufficient to permit said anti-HIV-1 antibody binding molecule to bind to anti-HIV-1 antibody of said formed peptide-anti-HIV-1 antibody complex and form an extended complex; said extended complex being immobilized on the solid support; (c) removing one or more of unbound anti-HIV-1 antibody and unbound anti-HIV-1 antibody binding molecule from said extended complex; and (d) determining the presence or concentration of said anti-HIV-1 antibody in said biological sample by determining the presence or concentration of said formed extended complex; said determining being performed using an ELISA immunoassay or an immunochromatographic assay; wherein said epitope is present on a peptide having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID 50-52.