Laboratory diagnosis of retroviral infections

The molecular biology techniques that were once the exclusive domain of the basic researcher are now becoming apparent within the diagnostic laboratory. Techniques that can detect and quantify the specific genes of retroviruses without the need for radioactive compounds are becoming a reality. In addition, they are rapidly being applied to other viral and nonviral infectious diseases. For the present, techniques that detect the presence of antiretroviral antibodies are the front-line tests for screening and detecting infected, mostly asymptomatic individuals. As vaccines and chemotherapies become the standard of care, tissue culture, PCR, in situ hybridization, and flow cytometry will become the core diagnostic technologies that will enable an accurate prognosis of disease and evaluation of therapy; however, as with any diagnostic procedures, they must be performed against a background of a strong and aggressive quality control and assurance program.