       Document 0849
 DOCN  M9620849
 TI    PCR analysis of HIV-seronegative, heterosexual partners of HIV-infected
       individuals.
 DT    9602
 AU    Palumbo P; Skurnick J; Lewis D; Eisenberg M; Department of Pediatrics,
       University of Medicine and Dentistry,; New Jersey Medical School, Newark
       07103, USA.
 SO    J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol. 1995 Dec 1;10(4):436-40.
       Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96074276
 AB    A cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-discordant couples was
       established to evaluate risk factors associated with heterosexual viral
       transmission. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was utilized to document
       the HIV-uninfected status among members of discordant heterosexual
       couples and to rule out immunosilent infection. HIV DNA PCR specific for
       a gag gene region was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cell
       samples from 203 HIV antibody-negative adults who have long-term
       heterosexual relationships with HIV-infected partners. The results were
       negative for 200 but consistently positive in three individuals. More
       extensive evaluation of these three individuals with an additional
       primer pair specific for the envelope gene, quantitative DNA PCR,
       multiple additional time points, and variable nucleotide tandem repeat
       analyses revealed specimen processing problems in two cases but an
       apparent true positive PCR assay in the third case. This subject remains
       antibody and PCR negative for a 32-month follow-up period. These results
       confirm previous studies that document a negligible incidence of occult
       HIV infection as delineated by PCR in antibody negative heterosexual
       partners of HIV-infected individuals. Specimen processing errors occur
       at a low rate (1% in this study) and require careful evaluation. The
       possibility of transient, aborted infection versus successful infection
       with a long immunosilent period was observed in a single individual.
       Definitive resolution of infection status will require long-term
       evaluation.
 DE    Adult  Cohort Studies  *Disease Transmission, Horizontal  DNA,
       Viral/*ANALYSIS  Female  Gene Products, gag/ANALYSIS  Human  HIV
       Antibodies/ANALYSIS  HIV Infections/*TRANSMISSION  *HIV Seronegativity
       HIV-1/*GENETICS  Leukocytes, Mononuclear/VIROLOGY  Male  Polymerase
       Chain Reaction/METHODS  Risk Factors  *Sex Behavior  *Sexual Partners
       Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.  Variable Number of Tandem Repeats  JOURNAL
       ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

