一種新型檢測方法能夠在HIV陽性血清患者中檢測R7V抗體，從而可以幫助醫生鑒別那些非進展性患者。

HIV患者R7V抗體陽性能夠中和所有HIV病毒株，而無論病毒的基因型、患者的地理區域，甚至那些抗逆轉錄藥物抵抗的病毒株。當HIV患者被檢測出血清陽性后10年仍然無癥狀的時候，這些患者被認為是非進展者。這些患者CD4計數保持穩定，病毒負荷不會升高。

這種新型檢測方法是酶聯免疫吸附法(ELISA)。抗逆轉錄治療的療效并不會降低，但是抗病毒藥物能夠增加患者的副作用以及不方便。這項檢測能夠幫助醫生作出治療決定，能夠用于在開始的時候血清陽性的非進展者。與CD4計數和病毒負荷聯合應用，有助于醫生決定開始或者不開始治療。

對989例HIV陽性患者收集的血清進行回顧性檢測分析，證實在HIV陽性患者中出現R7V抗體與非進展性之間的相關性為85.7%。該檢測已經由Ivagen(Nimes, France)從芝加哥大學Jean Claude Chermann教授獲得了許可證。

ELISA for AIDS-Protective Antibodies
 
A new test detects the presence of anti-R7V antibodies in HIV-seropositive patients, which helps doctors to identify patients who may be nonprogressors.

Anti-R7V antibodies from HIV-positive patients have the property of neutralizing all strains of HIV, no matter the genotype, phenotype, or geographical area of the patient, even if the strain is resistant to anti-retroviral drugs. When HIV patients remain asymptomatic for more than 10 years after being detected as seropositive, they are considered as being nonprogressors. They have stable CD4 counts and viral load that does not evolve.

The new test is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It does not discount the efficacy of anti-retroviral therapy, but the use of anti-viral agents can cause side effects and inconveniences for patients. The test helps doctors make therapeutic decisions and is used at the initiation of seropositivity to detect nonprogressors. In conjunction with CD4 counts and viral load, it helps doctors decide whether or not to apply therapy.

A retrospective study of 989 samples collected from HIV-positive patients demonstrated a correlation of 85.7% between nonprogression and the presence of anti-R7V antibodies in HIV-positive patients. The test has been licensed from Professor Jean Claude Chermann of the University of Chicago (IL, USA) by Ivagen (Nimes, France).