Bobey L, Saxer M, Kokka R, Feinberg M, Volberding P, Elbeik T; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 1993 Jun 6-11; 9: 549 (abstract no. PO-B41-2485).
Department of Medicine, UCSF.
INTRODUCTION. Quantitation of plasma viremia is usually measured by plasma culture. Plasma culture is slow, insensitive and subject to variability. We have evaluated the bDNA assay as a viable alternative to quantitative plasma culture. METHODS. HIV infected individuals with CD4 24-344/mm3 were used for this study (N = 34). For plasma culture, six-5 fold dilutions of fresh plasma (starting 1:25) were tested in duplicate and assayed for p24 at day 14. For the bDNA assay, 2 x 1 ml aliquots of frozen plasma/donor were assayed. RESULTS. By chi-square analysis, both the bDNA assay and quantitative plasma assay detected plasma viremia in 15 (44%) samples and the bDNA assay in an additional 15 (44%) samples. One sample (3%) was positive by plasma culture and negative by the bDNA assay and three (9%) samples were negative by both assays. Thus, the overall rate of detection was 88% by the bDNA assay and 44% by plasma culture. In a separate study, baseline plasma samples (1 week interval, prior to drug treatment) had comparable HIV-1 RNA copies. CONCLUSION. Greater sensitivity in detecting HIV-1 RNA was observed with the bDNA assay. Additionally, the bDNA assay correlates with plasma culture for quantitation of virion derived HIV-1 RNA in clinical samples. Minimal variability between RNA levels defined by the bDNA assay were seen in replicate baseline plasma samples. Finally, frozen plasma samples can readily be used for the bDNA assay.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Branched DNA Signal Amplification Assay
- CD4 Lymphocyte Count
- HIV Infections
- Hematologic Tests
- RNA
- RNA, Viral
- Sensitivity and Specificity
- Viremia
Other ID:
UI: 102205508
From Meeting Abstracts