PRIMERS TO THE NEF-GENE IN DIAGNOSIS OF H IV-INFECTION BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

A new system of primers and internal probe identifying the nef-gene of HIV-1 was selected and tested for the laboratory diagnosis of HIV inf ection by means of PCR. The proposed primers and probe by their charac teristics approached the optimal ones for PCR diagnosis. The diagnosti c value of the above system was confirmed by the PCR analysis of blood samples from 29 patients including subjects with a doubtful diagnosis of HIV infection. The results of the PCR analysis using primers nef1/ nef2 correlated with the results obtained by employing the widely used primers for the gag-gene SK38/SK39 and attested to the high specifici ty and diagnostic efficiency of the proposed system.