Dissociation of antigen-antibody complexes showed complexed antigen during the phase of declining concentrations of free antigen. During the second and third weeks after the onset of illness p24 antibody was detected by Western blot assay and antigen concentrations rapidly decreased to undetectable values. During the first two weeks after the onset of illness HIV antigen (p24) was detected in the blood by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Serial blood samples were obtained from 21 homosexuals who had developed symptomatic primary infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after a median incubation time of 14 days.
