[AIDS diagnosis: virus detection, antibody detection, diagnostic and prognostic significance of the findings].

AIDS serology is of worldwide importance for the diagnosis of HIV-infection and AIDS, for conducting epidemiological studies, for the control of blood donations and blood products and for the determination of infectivity and prognosis in AIDS patients. In future serological methods may be of importance for the management of anti-HIV-therapy. Screening methods, such as ELISA and hemagglutination assays and confirmatory tests (Western blot and immunofluorescence) nowadays offer clear cut and reliable results. Discussions on the "AIDS-tests" in the past have not been free from emotions; from the medical standpoint, however, it is for sure that the affected patient should know about his infection, in order to protect himself as well as others. The physician must know the HIV-status of his patient, in case major diagnostic or therapeutic measures, such as operations are to be performed or drugs are going to be prescribed, which may influence the immune system. The present paper describes the AIDS serologic methods based upon 197.956 tests performed in our laboratories, HIV-IgM-diagnostic methods, HIV-status in the cerebrospinal fluid and the serologic diagnosis of HIV 2-infection are discussed. In future the serologic control and the serologic prognosis parameters will gain major importance for monitoring AIDS-patients before and under treatment. This paper describes the methods (virus specific antibody tests; tests for the demonstration of immune system activation; immunstatus) which might be used for this purpose.