title: An improved method for monitoring efficacy of anti-retroviral therapy in HIV-infected individuals: a highly sensitive HIV p24 antigen assay.
abstract: Circulating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) p24 antigen levels were measured by a highly sensitive HIV p24 antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC) otherwise negative for HIV p24 antigen measured by a commercial antigen-capture ELISA. The assays were performed at baseline and at several intervals during treatment with either zidovudine (ZDV) or dideoxyinosine (ddl). To further enhance the rate of antigen detection, serum was pretreated with hydrochloric acid to denature antibody in immune complexes. Utilizing this assay system, we monitored these patients for drug efficacy. HIV p24 antigen levels obtained by using this sensitive assay decreased in 3 of 8 patients receiving ZDV during 8 weeks of ZDV treatment. Similarly, ddl administration was associated with a decrease of HIV p24 antigen levels in 3 of 5 patients. Thus, the use of the highly sensitive HIV p24 antigen assay permitted the monitoring of surrogate HIV p24 antigen as a measure of efficacy of anti-retroviral therapy in all of these patients who were otherwise HIV p24 antigen-negative at the onset of anti-retroviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, New York 10019.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Winger
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hargrove
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McHugh
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: McKinley
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Grieco
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D016049:Didanosine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D015215:Zidovudine; D016049:Didanosine