[Prognostic value of HIV serum antigens]

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antigens can be detected during early infection but usually disappear afterwards. Their later reappearance in serum seems to herald a greater virus replication and a poor prognosis. The prognostic value of antigen detection at the first clinical visit was assessed among 37 symptomatic patients. Patients with detectable antigenemia at the first visit progressed more rapidly towards the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (p less than 0.0001). Similarly, patients with detectable antigens at the time of a Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia had a shorter survival than patients without detectable antigens (p less than 0.0001). Four months after the hospital admission date, the survival rate was 31% among patients with detectable antigens and 100% among patients without detectable antigens (p less than 0.0001). In two of four patients tested, serial HIV antigens determinations suggested a spontaneous decrease of antigen titers during the terminal phase of the disease.