Difficulties in Assigning Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Infection and Seroreversion Status in a Cohort of HIV-Exposed in Children Using Serologic Criteria Established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

In 1987, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a "Classification System for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection in Children Under 13 Years of Age".1 The consensus of a panel of consultants was that passively acquired maternal HIV-1 antibody could sometimes persist in children for up to 15 months. The presence of detectable HIV-1 antibody in HIV-1-exposed children after 15 months of age was viewed as an indicator of infection. The absence (or loss) of HIV-1 antibody in a child <15 months of age was an indication that the child was not infected. Although most children can be easily classified using the CDC system, assigning infection status in a small percentage of children is more difficult.