Viral markers in HIV infection and AIDS.

Viral and immune markers are used for monitoring either progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease or response to antiviral therapy. Ideal properties of viral markers are that they are present in all HIV-infected persons at all stages of disease, that they are related to disease pathogenesis, that they can be easily quantitated, that this quantitation correlates rapidly and predictably with both disease stage and response to antivirals, and that they can be developed into rapid, reproducible automated tests. Currently available viral markers include HIV p24 antigenemia (after acid glycine dissociation), anti-p24 antibody titres, quantitative DNA and RNA polymerase chain reaction performed on cells and plasma, and HIV isolate phenotype. In Australia, these markers have been studied in acute HIV seroconversion, in neonatal infection, in body fluids other than blood, and in monitoring of response to antiviral drug therapy.