Selection of asymptomatic HIV carriers for antiviral therapy.

In order to find suitable markers for selection and monitoring of antiviral therapy in asymptomatic HIV-infected patients, we evaluated 18 anti-HIV positive individuals at three monthly intervals by HIV culture, HIV antigen, and core (p24) antibody testing as well as by measurement of lymphocyte subsets. Consistent results were obtained with HIV antigen, p24 antibody testing and T4 cell enumeration, whereas results of virus detection were variable. Therefore cumbersome and expensive virus culture is not of use in selecting patients for antiviral therapy.

Comparison of six serological assays for human immunodeficiency virus antibody detection in developing countries.

Three commercially available assays for the detection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies-Vironostika enzyme immunoassay (EIA), Wellcozyme competitive EIA, and JLC Allaman indirect immunofluorescence assay--were tested on 300 serum samples from African subjects with and without HIV-related conditions. Two experimental assays both rapid and simple to perform (Biotech dip stick and Cambridge Bioscience latex agglutination) were also evaluated on the same serum samples. The results were compared with those of a commercial Western blot (WB) (immunoblot) assay from Biotech, used as the reference technique.

Detection of HIV p17 antigen in lymphocytes but not epithelial cells from cervicovaginal secretions of women seropositive for HIV: implications for heterosexual transmission of the virus.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been isolated from cervicovaginal secretions from infected women and is thought to be cell associated. To identify which cells harbour viral antigen, we used monoclonal antibodies to OKT4 and a monoclonal antibody directed against HIV p17 core antigen to perform indirect immunofluorescence assays of genital secretions from 17 HIV seropositive and 17 HIV seronegative women with leucorrhoea. OKT4 positive lymphocytes were detected in all tested samples.

The latex condom, an efficient barrier against sexual transmission of AIDS-related viruses.

Using a mechanical model, we studied human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) leakage through six different trademark condoms. The presence of the recovered virus was determined after passage to MT-2 cells and to cultured mitogen-stimulated normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMC). Only the natural membrane condom showed virus leakage after inside pressure.