[Detection of intracellular HIV-1 p24 antigen in CD4(+);T cells by flow cytometry and its application for auxiliary diagnosis of HIV-1 infection].
OBJECTIVE
To detect the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) p24 antigen in CD4(+);T cells by flow cytometry (FCM) and assess its application for auxiliary diagnosis of HIV-1 infection.


METHODS
CD4(+);T cells from HIV-1-infected individuals and normal controls (negative controls) were detected for intracellular p24 antigen by FCM. Samples from early-HIV-infected individuals were collected, and the intracellular p24 antigen in CD4(+);T cells was detected by FCM. P24 antigen in plasma was detected by ELISA and nucleic acids were tested by nest-PCR. The results of these 3 assays were compared.


RESULTS
The rates of p24(+);CD4(+);T cells of the infected individuals were significantly higher than those of the negative controls (P<0.01); the 95th percentile of p24(+);CD4(+);T cell rates of the infected individuals was 1.92% and the cutoff value was 2.00%. Infected individuals with CD4(+);T ≤350 cells/μL had higher p24(+);CD4(+);T cell rates than those with CD4(+);T >350 cells/μL (P<0.05). The detection of p24 antigen in CD4(+);T cells of early-HIV-1-infected patients could identify HIV-1 infection timely, and the detection efficiency of FCM was better than that of the ELISA of p24 antigen in plasma and was equal to that of nucleic acid testing.


CONCLUSIONS
The FCM detection of p24 antigen in CD4(+);T cells could be a promising auxiliary approach for the diagnosis of early HIV-1 infection.
Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou 510440, China.
Kai
K
Gao
Bilian
B
Luo
Yan
Y
Li
Huifang
H
Xu
Zhigang
Z
Han
Caiyun
C
Liang
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism*
D016655:HIV Core Protein p24