Application of capillary DNA chromatography to detect AIDS virus (HIV-1) DNA in blood

The application of capillary DNA chromatography to the detection of the AIDS human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) proviral DNA in blood is reported for the first time. Combining polymerase chain reaction with fluorescence-labeled DNA probes provides the basis for the amplification and specific detection of the DNA. Samples analyzed for HIV-1 DNA included both infected human blood and cell cultures. The new DNA separation method, capillary DNA chromatography (related to both capillary electrophoresis and capillary hydrodynamic chromatography), is shown to be a powerful method of analysis for DNA. These preliminary results indicate that an automated approach to screening the blood supply for HIV-1 may become a reality in the future.