PRIOR ENRICHMENT OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS DNA WITH PROBE DNA PARTICLES FOR EFFICIENT PCR DIAGNOSIS

We report here a novel method by which one can recover human immunodef iciency virus (HIV) DNA in a small volume (similar to 50 mu l) of solu tion from 8 ml of crude cell lysate which contains as few as several H IV DNA copies. The method uses the specific binding of HIV DNA to HN p robe DNA particles. The HIV DNA thus concentrated on the particles can be subjected to the PCR assay. The method also enables the examinatio n of 100 individual blood specimens in a combined form.