ABSTRACT
Three methods (IVAP, p24 antigenemia and viral cultivatio) for the diagnosis of HIV-1 infection among children born to HIV-1 infected mothers were prospectively evaluated to determine the applicability of IVAP as a useful technique for that purpose. We tested 15 children (8p0 and 7 pII) and 19 adults with well-estabilished serological status for HIV infection. The children were followed for at least 1 year, unless they developed symptoms of clinical AIDS, or their HIV serology became negative. The IVAP method was more sensitive and specific than the other 2 tests in determining whether or not the infants were infected with HIV. All negative test results (5/8) were confirmed during the same time period. Despite the small sample studied, we conclude that IVAP is in inexpensive and simple technique potentially useful to establish whether or not HIV-seropositive children born to infected mothers are HIV infected.