Genetic evaluation of suspected cases of transient HIV-1 infection of infants

Science. 1998 May 15;280(5366):1073-7. doi: 10.1126/science.280.5366.1073.

Abstract

Detection of human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) on only one or a few occasions in infants born to infected mothers has been interpreted to indicate that infection may be transient rather than persistent. Forty-two cases of suspected transient HIV-1 viremia among 1562 perinatally exposed seroreverting infants and one mother were reanalyzed. HIV-1 env sequences were not found in specimens from 20; in specimens from 6, somatic genetic analysis revealed that specimens were mistakenly attributed to an infant; and in specimens from 17, phylogenetic analysis failed to demonstrate the expected linkage between the infant's and the mother's virus. These findings argue that transient HIV-1 infection, if it exists, will only rarely be satisfactorily documented.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • DNA, Viral / analysis
  • DNA, Viral / genetics
  • Diagnostic Errors
  • Equipment Contamination
  • Female
  • Genes, env
  • HIV Infections / immunology
  • HIV Infections / transmission
  • HIV Infections / virology*
  • HIV-1 / genetics*
  • HIV-1 / isolation & purification*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • RNA, Viral / analysis
  • Specimen Handling*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology
  • Viremia / virology

Substances

  • DNA, Viral
  • RNA, Viral

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AF065488
  • GENBANK/AF065489
  • GENBANK/AF065490
  • GENBANK/AF065491
  • GENBANK/AF065492
  • GENBANK/AF065493
  • GENBANK/AF065494
  • GENBANK/AF065495
  • GENBANK/AF065496
  • GENBANK/AF065497
  • GENBANK/AF065498
  • GENBANK/AF065499
  • GENBANK/AF065500
  • GENBANK/AF065501
  • GENBANK/AF065502
  • GENBANK/AF065503
  • GENBANK/AF065504
  • GENBANK/AF065505
  • GENBANK/AF065506
  • GENBANK/AF065507
  • GENBANK/AF065508
  • GENBANK/AF065509
  • GENBANK/AF065510
  • GENBANK/AF065511
  • GENBANK/AF065512
  • GENBANK/AF065513
  • GENBANK/AF065514
  • GENBANK/AF065515
  • GENBANK/AF065516
  • GENBANK/AF065517