IgA Antibody Test Reveals HIV Status of Infants 3-6 Months of Age

Alternative methods of diagnosing HIV have notable disadvantages. Laboratory
culture of the virus in cells and amplification of viral DNA by polymerase chain reaction
(PCR) are not completely standardized; in addition, they are expensive and involve
sophisticated technological expertise and equipment, barriers to their use in developing
countries. In contrast, the IgA test is a relatively simple and inexpensive blood test that can
be readily performed in many laboratories worldwide.
Collaborators in the study included Thomas C. Quinn, M.D., and Richard L. Kline,
M.S., National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Johns Hopkins University;
Reginald Boulous, M.D., Center for Development and Health, Port au Prince, Haiti; and Neal
Halsey, M.D., Nancy Hutton, M.D., Andrea Ruff, M.D., Arlene Butz, R.N., Sc.D., and John
F. Modlin, M.D., all of Johns Hopkins University.