title: HIV type 1 phenotype correlates with the stage of infection in vertically infected children.
abstract: A cohort of 39 vertically infected children (class N, A, B, and C of the CDC HIV classification for pediatric infection) was studied by virus isolation and non-syncytium inducing (NSI)/syncytium inducing (SI) HIV-1 phenotype evaluation. The HIV-1 isolates were recovered from PBMCs and the MT-2 cell line was used to perform the syncytium assay. HIV-1 could be isolated in 34 of 39 (87%) infected children, regardless of the clinical and immunological stage of the disease. Class N and A subjects harbored exclusively NSI strains, whereas the SI phenotype was detected in two of eight class B and five of nine class C patients. All of the SI variants were observed in severely CD4-depleted children (class 3 patients). The capability of pediatric HIV-1 isolates to induce a cytopathic effect is associated with the clinical status and the degree of CD4 depletion. These data suggest that the biological properties of HIV-1 isolates in children do not differ from those observed in adults, and that viral phenotype strictly correlates with disease progression in vertically infected children.
authors.affiliation: Clinica delle Malattie Infettive, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balotta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viganò
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riva
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salvaggio
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: de Pasquale
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crupi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Papagno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moroni
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Principi
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000378:metabolism; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D016655:HIV Core Protein p24