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Lymphocytes and monocytes from 25 patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)—13 asymptomatic, seven with the AIDS-related complex (ARC) and five with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)—were lysed and subjected to PCR with three primer pairs: SK38/SK39 (gag), SK68/SK69 (env) and SK29/SK30 (LTR). Amplified DNA was solution-hybridised with 32P-labelled probes (SK19, SK70 and SK31, respectively) and detected by PAGE-autoradiography. HIV-1 DNA was detected as follows. Asymptomatic patients: Monocytes—gag 61.5%, env 100%, LTR 0%; lymphocytes—gag 100%, env 92.3%, LTR 53.84%. ARC patients: Monocytes—gag 71.4%, env 57.1%, LTR 0%; lymphocytes—gag 100%, env 71.4%, LTR 71.4%. AIDS patients: Monocytes—gag 80.0%, env 100%, LTR0%; lymphocytes—gag 100%, env 60%, LTR 60%. The presence of HIV-1 DNA was confirmed in the monocyte fraction. In this cell subset, the env gene-directed primers were the most effective for amplification, whereas the LTR gene-directed primers failed to amplify HIV-1 DNA. The different pattern of amplification found in monocytes may suggest that these cells could be infected by a genetic variant of the virus.
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