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Mother‐to‐child HIV‐1 transmission: Quantitative assessment of viral burden as a diagnostic tool and prognostic parameter in HIV‐1‐infected children
Author(s) -
Rossi Anita,
Ometto Lucia,
Zanotto Carlo,
Salvatori Francesca,
Masiero Sara,
Mammano Fabrizio,
ChiecoBianchi Luigi
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1994.tb13329.x
Subject(s) - medicine , polymerase chain reaction , viral disease , viral load , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , pediatrics , transmission (telecommunications) , virology , real time polymerase chain reaction , immunology , biology , biochemistry , gene , electrical engineering , in vitro , engineering
Polymerase chain reaction was performed in 251 infants born to HIV‐1‐seropositive mothers to diagnose HIV‐1 infection. Assay specificity was invariably > 95%, regardless of age at testing, while sensitivity ranged from 15% in neonates (within 48 h of birth) to > 95% in infants over 1 month of age. Evaluation of viral burden in 43 infected infants by means of quantitative DNA‐PCR disclosed that the number of HIV‐1 proviruses ranged from 5 to 947 per 100,000 peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Clinical follow‐up demonstrated that a high viral burden was associated significantly with disease onset.