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- Title
Absence of Chronic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection without Seroconversion in Intravenous Drug Users: A Prospective and Retrospective Study.
- Authors
Yerly, Sabine; Chamot, Eric; Deglon, Jean-Jacques; Hirschel, Bernard; Perrin, Luc Henri
- Abstract
It has been reported that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection may exist in persons without specific antibodies for years. To measure the frequency of a silent carrier state, a study was conducted in a cohort of 124 intravenous drug users (IVDUs) without anti-HIV-1 antibodies. All the participants had engaged in high-risk behavior for HIV-1 transmission for a number of years until 1987 or later. Samples were analyzed at 6-month intervals for the presence of HIV-1 provirus using DNA amplification and for the appearance of anti-HIV-1 antibodies. HIV-1 provirus and antibodies were undetectable in 122 participants, whereas seroconversion was observed in 2. In one of these, both amplified HIV-1 pol gene segment and anti-HIV-1 antibodies were detected simultaneously, and in the other, provirus was detected 1 month before seroconversion. This study suggests that long-term HIV-1 infection without anti-HIV-1 antibodies is rare and that repeated antibody testing is sufficient to determine the HIV-1 status of a person no longer at high risk for HIV-1 infection.
- Publication
Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1991, Vol 164, Issue 5, p965
- ISSN
0022-1899
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/infdis/164.5.965