The author gives an account of contemporary possibilities of the laboratory diagnosis of HIV infection and AIDS. Criteria are discussed as well as situations which determine the selection of methods and laboratory tests. For detection of new cases of HIV infection and for prevention of its transmission by administration of contaminated blood or blood preparations the method of choice is screening of HIV antibodies. All reactive findings must be confirmed by tests in the NRL for AIDS to rule out falsely positive findings. Molecular biological tests of HIV viral nuclear acids are made in special diagnostic cases (DNA detection) and for monitoring of progression of infection HIV in infected subjects (quantitative assessment of RNA). These methods serve also investigations on the development of resistance to antiretroviral drugs and for following up the effectiveness of specific therapy. The author gives an account of the organization and methodology of laboratory diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in the CR.

        Key words: HIV - AIDS - diagnosis - laboratory tests.