title: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA detection in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by polymerase chain reaction: enhanced sensitivity after mitogenic stimulation.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate whether stimulus-induced up-regulation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) could enhance the diagnostic sensitivity of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PBMC derived from 11 HIV-1-infected asymptomatic adults were cultured with a stimulus of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) plus phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 36 h prior to lysing the cells for PCR. In all 11 patients studied, the intensity of PCR-assisted HIV RNA amplification (RNA-PCR) performed on stimulated cells was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than that obtained on unstimulated cells. A comparison of conventional PCR-assisted DNA amplification (DNA-PCR) with that of RNA-PCR was made on seven patients. The sensitivity of DNA-PCR was also increased by prior stimulation of cells, although not to the same extent as was observed for RNA-PCR. The results of our study indicate that the sensitivity of PCR can be significantly enhanced by prior activation of cells with PHA and PMA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, North Shore University Hospital-Cornell University Medical College, Manhasset, NY 11030.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Tetali
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oyaizu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pahwa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000382:microbiology*; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D008934:Mitogens; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate