Serum antibody pattern, antigenemia, and virus isolation in infants born to mothers seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus type 1

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Abstract
Forty children born to mothers seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) followed‐up to 15 months after birth were studied by means of serum antibody patterns to individual viral polypeptides, by the presence of detectable levels of viral core antigen (p24) and virus in serum and peripheral blood lymphocytes, and by total lymphocyte counts and T4/T8 lymphocyte ratios. The results obtained indicate that a persistent antigenemia is significantly associated with positive virus isolation from peripheral blood lymphocytes and with changes in the intensity of antibody reaction to core (p24, p17) and pol (p31) antigens. Six children (15%) presented unequivocal signs of HIV‐1 infection and five also had signs of immune system involvement.