Evaluation of a boosted-p24 antigen assay for the early diagnosis of pediatric HIV-1 infection in Cambodia.

Methods for early diagnosis of pediatric HIV-1 infection (DNA-polymerase chain reaction [PCR], RNA quantification, viral cultures) are expensive. Most Cambodian infants wait 18 months for HIV serologic tests. We observed that boosted-p24-antigen profile assay, with performances similar to viral cultures and costs similar to DNA-PCR, is easier to perform and could readily be set up in resource-poor settings.