HIV detection by in situ hybridization based on confocal reflected light microscopy

Elucidation of the pathogenesis of AIDS is confounded by the finding that few actively infected CD4+ cells (1 in 104-105) can be detected in the peripheral blood, even though there is dramatic depletion (often >90%) of CD4+ cells as the disease progresses. A sensitive, 35S-based human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) mRNA in situ hybridization technique was coupled with a new detection method, confocal laser scanning microscopy, to examine transcriptionally active HIV-infected cells from individuals at different disease stages. An algorithm for image segmentation and analysis has been developed to determine the proportion of HIV-positive cells. Data obtained using this improved detection method suggest that there are more HIV mRNA-producing cells in HIV-infected individuals than previously thought, based on other detection methods.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.