POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION IN THE EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF HIV-1 INFECTION IN HIGH-RISK SUBJECTS

We investigated the presence of the HIV-1 infection using the polymera se chain reaction (PCR) test in seronegative sexual partners of HIV-in fected subjects and in children born to seropositive mothers. By using PCR assay, no HIV-1 DNA was detected in 32 female partners of HIV pos itive patients including three pregnant women who were also studied du ring pregnancy and after delivery. HIV-1 DNA was found in 12 out of 38 children born to seropositive mothers; five of them also had detectab le serum HIV-1 p24 Ag levels. On the whole, our data stress the import ance of using a very sensitive technique, i.e. PCR, for the early diag nosis of HIV-1 infection.