title: Detection and quantification of human immunodeficiency virus RNA in patient serum by use of the polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA was detected and quantified in the serum of HIV-seropositive individuals using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a nonisotopic enzyme-linked affinity assay. Of 55 HIV-infected patients who were not receiving therapy, serum HIV RNA was detected in 9 of 19 who were asymptomatic, 11 of 16 with AIDS-related complex (ARC), and 18 of 20 with AIDS, with copy numbers ranging from 10(2) to greater than or equal to 5 x 10(4) 200 microliters of serum based on a relationship between absorbance and known copy number of gag gene RNA. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a correlation between infectious titer in 42 patient sera cocultured with donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and PCR product absorbance (r = .70, P less than .01). Serum HIV RNA detected by PCR also correlated with serum p24 antigen positivity, CD4 counts less than 400/mm3, and the presence of HIV-related symptoms or disease. Quantification of infectious HIV RNA in cell-free serum by PCR may be useful as a marker for for disease progression or in monitoring antiviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, CA 94305.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holodniy
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Katzenstein
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sengupta
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casipit
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Konrad
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Groves
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Merigan
mesh_terms: D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000382:microbiology*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology*; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014766:Viremia / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral