Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1983. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The New York Times - September 8, 1983
"We do not have a test for AIDS," said Dr. M. Elaine Eyster of Pennsylvania State University Medical School, one of the researchers.
"What we have is something with a potential for being a good test to screen individuals in high-risk groups."
The study found that months before the appearance of clear signs of AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, some victims had high blood levels of a protein called acid-labile alpha interferon.
"I would say that if an individual had high levels of acid-labile interferon on several occasions, that would probably be a very specific marker for AIDS," said another researcher, Dr. James J. Goedert of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md.
The researchers found the unusual kind of interferon in three victims of hemophilia who developed AIDS.
Interferon is a virus-killing chemical that is produced naturally in tiny amounts by cells throughout the body.
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