[The isolation of HIV from children with the initial signs of an HIV infection and from symptom-free carriers].

A high rate of HIV carrier state was observed in seropositive children with early symptoms of HIV infection. The virus was also isolated from 2 seropositive adults (mothers) showing no clinical manifestations. The intervals of virus manifestation in culture varied from 6 to 30 days with maximal frequency of detection in the 2nd week. Different modifications of the procedure for HIV isolation were assayed, and it was shown that the efficacy of isolation (shortening of the period of virus detectability and increase in the number of the antigen-containing cells) could be improved by the addition to the culture of the Jurkat-tat III line expressing the product of the tat gene important for virus reproduction.