p24 assays

[Jay Mone']

Usha,
1.  p24 protein is highly conserved among HIV isolates.  It is also 
very immunogenic.  Virtually 100% of HIV infected individuals produce 
antibodies against p24, which makes it a valuable diagnostic marker.

2.  HIV exists in the body both as free virus and as intracellular 
virus.  In order to get a good appreciation of viral load, it is 
important to assay both forms of virus.

3.  Human lymphoblastoid cell lines such as CEM and Molt 4 are very 
sensitive indicators of the presence of virus.  Co-cultivation of 
infected lymphocytes with one of these indicator cell lines rapidly 
induced cytopathic effects. The target cell specificity of HIV appears 
to change during the course of infection, from monocyte trophic to 
lymphocyte trophic strains.

Jay M.