QUANTITATION OF HIV-1 IN WHOLE-BLOOD OF INFECTED CHILDREN

Objective: To validate the technique of HIV-1 culture from whole blood for the quantitation of viral load in infected children. Patients: Fo rty-three HIV-1-infected children were followed in two paediatric cent res. Methods: Quantitative HIV-1 cultures from unfractionated whole bl ood using an end-point dilution technique were compared with simultane ous quantitative cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and plasma. Results: Good sensitivity (93%) of the methods used was c onfirmed. A close correlation (r = 0.80) was observed between HIV-1 ti tres measured directly from whole blood and those expected from PBMC a nd plasma titres. The mean whole blood viral load was higher in patien ts with more severe signs of disease, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. The whole blood viral titres measured seque ntially at monthly intervals remained within one dilution of each othe r in 16 of the 22 patients studied. Conclusion: In this study, the qua ntitation of HIV-1 in unfractionated blood allowed for a reliable and sensitive measurement of the whole blood viral load in infected childr en.