Abstract
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was evaluated for its ability to diagnose perinatal HIV-1 infection before the development of signs or symptoms of the disease in thirty-seven infants (median age of 5.5 days) born to HIV-1 infected women. Of 30 children with complete follow up (median of 25 months), 9 (30%) had serological and clinical features of HIV-1 infection and 21 (70%) were uninfected. Among the infected infants, 5/9 (56%) had positive neonatal PCR tests and 4/9 (44%) had negative PCR tests. None of the 21 uninfected children had positive PCR tests. The prognosis of HIV-1 disease in infected infants with a positive neonatal PCR positive test was similar to that of infected infants with a negative PCR test. In spite of not identifying all the infected infants, the PCR test is a useful tool for early diagnosis of HIV-1 perinatal infection, detecting infected newborns during gestation.
Highlights
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was evaluated for its ability to diagnose perinatal HIV-1 infection before the development of signs or symptoms of the disease in thirtyseven infants born to HIV-1 infected women
Of 30 children with complete follow up, 9 (30%) had serological and clinical features of HIV-1 infection and 21 (70%) were uninfected
In spite of not identifying all the infected infants, the PCR test is a useful tool for early diagnosis of HIV-1 perinatal infection, detecting infected newborns during gestation
Summary
Uso da reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) para o diagnóstico neonatal de infecção perinatal pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana tipo 1 (HIV). Resumo Com o objetivo de realizar diagnóstico precoce e confiável de infecção perinatal pelo HIV-1 no período neonatal, antes do aparecimento de sinais e sintomas de doença, avaliou-se a utilidade da técnica de reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) para o HIV-1 em 37 recém-nascidos (idade mediana de 5.5 dias) de mães infectadas. Apesar de não identificar todos os casos no período neonatal, este teste é útil para o diagnóstico de infecção perinatal e talvez esteja identificando as crianças infectadas pelo HIV-1 durante a gestação. 4. Pediatra Assistente do Hospital das Clínicas da FMRP e pós-graduanda do Departamento de Puericultura e Pediatria da FMRP-USP.
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