Mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission: quantitative assessment of viral burden as a diagnostic tool and prognostic parameter in HIV-1-infected children.
Polymerase chain reaction was performed in 251 infants born to HIV-1-seropositive mothers to diagnose HIV-1 infection. Assay specificity was invariably > 95%, regardless of age at testing, while sensitivity ranged from 15% in neonates (within 48 h of birth) to > 95% in infants over 1 month of age. Evaluation of viral burden in 43 infected infants by means of quantitative DNA-PCR disclosed that the number of HIV-1 proviruses ranged from 5 to 947 per 100,000 peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Clinical follow-up demonstrated that a high viral burden was associated significantly with disease onset.
Institute of Oncology, University of Padua, Italy.
A
A
De Rossi
L
L
Ometto
C
C
Zanotto
F
F
Salvatori
S
S
Masiero
F
F
Mammano
L
L
Chieco-Bianchi
D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000097:blood; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D009035:Mothers; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120