title: Early detection of HIV infection among Kenyan infants using a reverse transcriptase activity assay.
abstract: Two hundred HIV-exposed Kenyan infants were tested for HIV infection at birth and at age 6, 12, 24 and 48 weeks, by DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Cavidi reverse transcriptase (RT) assays and after age 18 months by HIV antibody test. Eleven (5.5%) infants became HIV infected. In 6 infants, positive RT preceded positive DNA PCR. The use of RT assay may facilitate earlier HIV diagnosis in infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA. sumathi.sivapalasingam@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sumathi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sivapalasingam
authors.forename: Aabid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mendillo
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Holzman
authors.forename: Fatuma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marshed
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mwamzuka
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khamadi
authors.forename: Matilu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mwau
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laverty
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valentine
mesh_terms: D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral