Effect of the HIV-1 syncytium-inducing phenotype on disease stage in vertically-infected children

The syncytium-inducing (SI) capability of HIV-1 isolates from 48 HIV-infected children was determined in order to examine the association of the SI phenotype with an AIDS diagnosis and/or with other clinical parameters in HIV-infected children. In a retrospective cross-sectional analysis, phenotypic data were linked to clinical and immunologic data from each patient. Multiple longitudinal samples were analyzed from 14 patients. Children with SI viruses were older than children with nonsyncytium-inducing (NSI) strains. Twelve of 13 children less than 2 years old carried NSI viruses, seven of the 12 already had a diagnosis of AIDS. Two children under 2 years of age died within 1 month of NSI virus isolation. Although plasma p24 antigen levels tended to be higher in the NSI group, the difference appeared to reflect high p24 levels in children under 2 years old with AIDS. When children under 2 were omitted, differences in age, CD4+ cell counts, p24 antigenemia, and clinical parameters were not significant. The SI phenotype of HIV-1 did not occur more frequently in children with an AIDS diagnosis. Four children remained stable with SI isolates overtime periods of 16 to 31 months. Three children's isolates converted from NSI to SI and 2 converted from SI to NSI. These data indicate that SI viruses do not play a significant role in progression to AIDS during the first 2 years of life. Furthermore, for children above the age of 2, the association between advanced disease stage and the SI phenotype in adults may not apply.