PCR-HYBRIDIZATION ASSAYS SPECIFIC FOR INTEGRATED RETROVIRUSES

摘要

The present invention provides a method of determining latent HIV infection by detection low-abundant HIV nucleic acid sequences in samples of cellular DNA or in paraffin-fixed tissue sections or frozen sections. This technique call s for one primer for an Alu sequence in the human chromosomal DNA and the othe r primer near the end of the viral LTR. PCR-amplified DNA is then hybridized with a probe which only recognizes the amplified LTR sequence. This probe could be labeled in different ways, and quantitative assays for latent HIV o r other retorviruses infection could be developed.