In order to evaluate the effect of viral load on the prognosis of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals, immune complex dissociated (ICD) serum p24 antigen (p24) by acid treatment was retrospectively measured for 50 HIV-infected patients for 60 months. Among them, 27 patients were p24 positive (p24+) above 25pg/ml for $40.4{pm}12$ months and 23 patients were negative (p24-). Follow-up periods from HIV diagnosis were $63.0{pm}19$ months (range; 40-112) for the p24+ and $68.4{pm}19$ months (range; 38-106) for the p24-, respectively (P>0.05)Mean CD4+T cell counts in the p24+ group decreased from $473{pm}$277/ul (median;373) to $157{pm}150/ul$ (median; 111) for $60{pm}16$ months (5.3/month P280/ul (median; 476) to $432{pm}285/ul$ (median;382) for $63{pm}19$ months (2.5/month, P<0.01). From CD4+T cell count >200/ul, the patient who progressed to AIDS of <200/ul were 13 of 23 (56%) in the p24+ and 4 of 22 (18%) in p24-, respectively (p<0.01). And the number of death in two groups were 6 (22%) and 1 (4%), respectively (p<0.01). Presumed survival in two groups were about 12 and 24.5 years. These data suggest that viral load itself be very important for the prognosis of HIV-infected patients.