Title: Comparison of the Generic HIV Viral Load assay with the Amplicor HIV-1 monitor v1.5 and Nuclisens HIV-1 EasyQ v1.2 techniques for plasma HIV-1 RNA quantitation of non-B subtypes: the Kesho Bora preparatory study.
Authors: Rouet F, Foulongne V, Viljoen J, Steegen K, Becquart P, Valea D, Danaviah S, Segondy M, Verhofstede C, Van de Perre P; WHO/ANRS 1289 Kesho Bora Study Group.
Journal: Virol Methods,163(2):253-7 (2010)
Abstract
The implementation of cost effective HIV-1 RNA quantitation assays in resource-poor settings is of paramount importance for monitoring HV-1 infection. A study comparing the analytical performance of three HIV-1 RNA assays (Generic HIV Viral Load, AmplicorTM v1.5 and Nuclisens EasyQ v1.2) was performed on 160 plasma samples from 160 consecutive antiretroviral treatment naive HIV-1-infected pregnant women assessed for eligibility in the Kesho Bora trial aimed at prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 in three African countries (Burkina Faso, Kenya and South Africa). Correlation and agreement of results of the three assays were assessed for plasma HIV-1 RNA quantitation in specimens harbouring mainly sub-subtype A1, subtype C, and circulating recombinant form (CRF) 02 AG and CRF06 cpx.
Good degrees of correlation and agreement were observed between these HIV-1 RNA assays. However, nine (9/160, 5.6%) strains detectable with the Generic HIV Viral Load assay were not detected by either the AmplicorTM (n = 7) or EasyQ (n = 2) test. One strain (0.6%) was missed with the Generic HIV Viral Load assay. Further, concordantly positive plasma samples harbouring CRF02 AG and CRF06 cpx yielded significantly higher HIV-1 RNA concentrations when tested by Generic HIV Viral Load, as compared to AmplicorTM v1.5 (mean differences, +0.33 and +0.67 log10 copies/ml; P = 0.0004 and P = 0.002, respectively). The Generic HIV Viral Load assay accurately quantified the majority of the non-B HIV-1 subtypes assessed in this study. Due to its low cost (?10 US $/test), this assay performed with open realtime PCR instruments is now used routinely in the Kesho Bora trial and may be recommended in other African settings.
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Citation: Rouet F, Foulongne V, Viljoen J, Steegen K, Becquart P, Valea D, Danaviah S, Segondy M, Verhofstede C, Van de Perre P; WHO/ANRS 1289 Kesho Bora Study Group. Comparison of the Generic HIV Viral Load assay with the Amplicor HIV-1 monitor v1.5 and Nuclisens HIV-1 EasyQ v1.2 techniques for plasma HIV-1 RNA quantitation of non-B subtypes: the Kesho Bora preparatory study. Virol Methods,163(2):253-7 (2010).