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. 1997 Jan;4(1):75–78. doi: 10.1128/cdli.4.1.75-78.1997

Diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection in infants by immune complex dissociation p24 assay.

M O Paul 1, G Toedter 1, D Hofheinz 1, S Tetali 1, S Pelton 1, M Marecki 1, A Brena 1, E J Abrams 1, S Landesman 1, S Pahwa 1
PMCID: PMC170479  PMID: 9008285

Abstract

Using immune complex dissociation (ICD), we retrospectively examined serum and plasma of 206 infants aged 0 to 4 months who were perinatally exposed to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). All samples were analyzed in a blinded manner. Infection status was determined based on the results of HIV culture and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classification. The overall diagnostic sensitivity of the assay was 59% (93 samples, 73 infants), and specificity was 100% (160 samples, 133 infants). When the samples were analyzed according to age, sensitivity was highest at age 1 to 2 months (17 of 21 infants, 81%). Sensitivities at other ages were 53% at < 1 month, 55% at 2 to 3 months, and 48% at 3 to 4 months (9 of 17, 11 of 20, and 12 of 25 cases, respectively). In 11 evaluable cases there was a possible correlation of p24 antigen quantitation (in picograms per milliliter) with disease progression. We conclude that, as determined in this study, the ICD p24 is a rapid diagnostic assay for HIV infection with a sensitivity of >80% at 1 to 2 months of age and 100% specificity, as evaluated, up to 4 months of age.

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Selected References

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