HIV Infection of the Retina

To the Editor: Pomerantz et al. (Dec. 24 issue) 1 described the isolation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from the retina. 1 We have also detected HIV in the retina and other ocular tissues from three patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). 2 All three had cytomegalovirus retinitis and had received intravitreal injections of ganciclovir. 3 Two of the three had received systemic zidovudine. Homogenized retinal tissue was cultured with phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral-blood leukocytes obtained from healthy HIV-seronegative donors. The culture supernatants were sampled every seven days for HIV-1 p24 antigen by enzyme immunoassay. All three retinas examined were positive for p24 antigen within . . . No extract is available for articles shorter than 400 words.