Vertical transmission of HIV in New York State: a basis for statewide testing of newborns.

Infants (n = 313) of HIV-infected mothers were enrolled (mean age 1.9 weeks, range 0-8 weeks) in a 3-year prospective study of vertical transmission. Fifty-six infants (17.9%) had laboratory and clinical evidence of HIV infection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) provided early and reliable identification of infected infants. Thirty-one of the 56 infected infants had specimens submitted when the infants were 4 weeks of age or less and 30 (97%) tested PCR positive. This percentage increased to 100% by 8 weeks of age when 51 of the 56 infected infants had specimens tested for that time period. Immune complex dissociation (ICD) antigen testing was a sensitive method for diagnosis of infection but only in infants older than 1 month. p24 antigen testing, although free of false positives, is less sensitive than either of the other methods. Among surrogate markers of HIV infection, elevation of soluble CD8 levels precedes an increase in immunoglobulin levels or a decline in CD4 T lymphocytes. Vertical transmission is significantly lower in Central and Western New York State than other regions. Transmission is significantly higher in low birthweight babies and in infants whose mothers have CD4 counts < 500. This study provided the basis for establishing a Pediatric HIV PCR Testing Service for the early diagnosis of HIV infection in neonates.

Fluoroimmunoassay studies with solubilized antigens from Borrelia burgdorferi.

Sodium deoxycholate-solubilized Borrelia burgdorferi antigen was prepared for use in a solid-phase fluoroimmunoassay (FIA-L) to detect antibodies in Lyme disease. Serum specimens were tested by FIA-L and by a microimmunofluorescence test. The FIA-L results are comparable to those of the standard microimmunofluorescence test. The overall agreement was 0.98. Moreover, the FIA-L procedure is simple and rapid; fluorescence is objectively determined and is proportional to antibody titer.

Nonpermissive infection of lymphoblastoid cells by vesicular stomatitis virus. II. Effect on viral morphogenesis.

The human B-lymphoblastoid cell line Raji is nonpermissive for infection by vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). The VSV particles released from Raji cells display a more heterogeneous distribution in equilibrium sucrose density gradients than particles released from BHK cells. The particles released from Raji cells contain approximately one-half to one-third as much viral matrix protein, relative to the nucleocapsid protein, as is normal. They also contain a higher proportion of the unglycosylated form of the G protein. The particles released from Raji cells are unstable and many disintegrate in the growth medium. Most of them deform when subjected to ultracentrifugation prior to fixation. The ratio of plaque-forming units to physical particles is much lower for the virions released from Raji cells.