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Comparative evaluation of three assays for the quantitation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA in plasma
Author(s) -
Coste Joliette,
Montes Brigitte,
Reynes Jacques,
Peeters Martine,
Segarra Christiane,
Vendrell JeanPierre,
Delaporte Eric,
Segondy Michel
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199612)50:4<293::aid-jmv3>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - bdna test , nasba , rna , virology , reverse transcriptase , biology , virus , microbiology and biotechnology , viral load , gene , genetics
Reverse transcriptase‐coupled polymerase chain reaction (Amplicor HIV‐1 Monitor), the branched DNA (bDNA) method (Quantiplex HIV‐1 RNA) and the nucleic acid sequence‐based assay (NASBA HIV‐1 RNA QT) were comparatively evaluated for the quantitation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) RNA in plasma. Among 60 plasma specimens from HIV‐1 infected patients, HIV‐1 RNA was detected in 56 by Amplicor (sensitivity, 93.3%), in 41 by bDNA (sensitivity, 68.3%), and in 60 by NASBA (sensitivity, 100%). HIV‐1 RNA was not detected by any of these methods in 34/34 plasma specimens from HIV‐1‐seronegative blood donors (specificity, 100%). The HIV‐1 RNA levels as determined by the different methods were correlated significantly. The frequency of concordant results (log difference <0.50) was 80.4% between Amplicor and NASBA, 77.5% between Amplicor and bDNA, and 58.6% between bDNA and NASBA. After initiation of antiviral therapy, HIV‐1 RNA level variations observed with the three methods were similar. HIV‐1 RNA levels were inversely correlated with the CD4+ T cell counts, whereas no correlation was found with HIV‐1 p24‐antigen levels. When the methods were evaluated for reproducibility, coefficients of variation ranged from 11% to 40% for Amplicor, from 6% to 35% for bDNA, and from 13% to 62% for NASBA. Quantitation of HIV‐1 RNA in culture supernatants from HIV‐1 subtype A to H strains showed that bDNA can be used to quantitate RNA from all HIV‐1 subtypes, whereas Amplicor failed to detect RNA from subtype A strains and NASBA subtype G strains. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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