STUDY OBJECTIVE: To study the natural history of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, we used an in-vitro amplification technique to detect HIV-1 nucleic acid sequences in sequential aliquots of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from homosexual men enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Blinded, longitudinal study of 24 homosexual men who were positive for HIV-1 antibodies at a recent follow-up visit. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Coded clinical samples were evaluated using two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (whole virus and gp120-gp41 fragment), Western blot, a p24 antigen capture assay, virus cocultivation, and in-vitro amplification of conserved regions from the HIV-1 gag and env open-reading frames. In 20 of the 24 men an HIV-1 enzymatically amplified product was detected before HIV-1 antibody seroconversion: at 42 months before seroconversion in two cases; at 36 months in one case; at 30 months in one case; at 24 months in four cases; at 18 months in eight cases; at 12 months in one case; and at 6 months in three cases (median, 18 months). In the four other men, detection of an HIV-1 enzymatically amplified product was concurrent with confirmation of antibody seroconversion by Western blot. CONCLUSIONS: There is a long and variable interval between virus acquisition and a diagnostic serum antibody response, perhaps due to the prolonged, persistent infection characteristic of the lentiviruses (family Retroviridae).
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To study the natural history of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, we used an in-vitro amplification technique to detect HIV-1 nucleic acid sequences in sequential aliquots of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from homosexual men enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Blinded, longitudinal study of 24 homosexual men who were positive for HIV-1 antibodies at a recent follow-up visit. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Coded clinical samples were evaluated using two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (whole virus and gp120-gp41 fragment), Western blot, a p24 antigen capture assay, virus cocultivation, and in-vitro amplification of conserved regions from the HIV-1 gag and env open-reading frames. In 20 of the 24 men an HIV-1 enzymatically amplified product was detected before HIV-1 antibody seroconversion: at 42 months before seroconversion in two cases; at 36 months in one case; at 30 months in one case; at 24 months in four cases; at 18 months in eight cases; at 12 months in one case; and at 6 months in three cases (median, 18 months). In the four other men, detection of an HIV-1 enzymatically amplified product was concurrent with confirmation of antibody seroconversion by Western blot. CONCLUSIONS: There is a long and variable interval between virus acquisition and a diagnostic serum antibody response, perhaps due to the prolonged, persistent infection characteristic of the lentiviruses (family Retroviridae).
Authors: L Romano; M Catucci; A De Milito; G Venturi; M Zazzi; P Almi; A Gonnelli; M Rubino; R Maestrini; P E Valensin Journal: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Date: 1995-11 Impact factor: 3.267
Authors: G W Rutherford; A R Lifson; N A Hessol; W W Darrow; P M O'Malley; S P Buchbinder; J L Barnhart; T W Bodecker; L Cannon; L S Doll Journal: BMJ Date: 1990-11-24
Authors: A J Whetsell; J B Drew; G Milman; R Hoff; E A Dragon; K Adler; J Hui; P Otto; P Gupta; H Farzadegan Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 1992-04 Impact factor: 5.948
Authors: T Jehuda-Cohen; B A Slade; J D Powell; F Villinger; B De; T M Folks; H M McClure; K W Sell; A Ahmed-Ansari Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 1990-05 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: P Gupta; H Farzadegan; D Imagawa; M Lee; L Kingsley; S Zhou; J Armstrong; C Rinaldo Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 1991-07 Impact factor: 5.948