Study objective: To determine the prevalence of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a population of symptom-free children who were born to HIV-infected mothers and who subsequently underwent seroreversion from an HIV antibody-positive to an HIV antibody-negative status.
Design: Cohort.
Setting: Pediatric HIV program in a community setting.
Patients: We used HIV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and coculture to detect the presence or absence of HIV in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 134 children aged 6 to 53 months. All children had HIV antibody at birth and underwent a subsequent seroreversion to antibody-negative status.
Results: In 134 children with HIV antibody-negative status, 219 of 220 culture results and 242 of 247 HIV-1 DNA PCR assay results were negative. Six positive laboratory results were obtained for six different children, each of whom had negative results on multiple assays. For HIV-infected children, 56 of 62 cultures and 99 of 104 PCR evaluations showed positive results. There was no clinical or laboratory evidence of HIV infection in the group with HIV antibody-negative status.
Conclusion: We were unable to find evidence of latent HIV type 1 infection in this cohort of symptom-free children who underwent seroreversion to HIV antibody-negative status. The loss of maternal HIV antibody in these children indicates the absence of HIV infection. False-positive PCR and culture results occurred sporadically, indicating that repeated analysis of HIV seropositivity in infants and children is necessary.