ABSTRACT
Dado que en Argentina el ensayo de HIV RNA cualitativo (QL) ha sido discontinuado, el objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar el ensayo de RNA cuantitativo (CV) COBAS AMPLICOR Monitor HIV-1 para su posible incorporación en el diagnóstico pediátrico de infección por HIV en niños expuestos perinatalmente y estimar la concordancia con QL. Fueron incluidas 214 muestras (134 pacientes), 174 muestras de 113 pacientes negativos y 40 correspondientes a 21 pacientes positivos con diagnóstico definitivo. Todas las muestras fueron estudiadas para CV usando el procedimiento estándar (ST, rango 400-750.000 copias/ml) y aquellas por debajo del rango lineal se procesaron por el método ultrasensible (US, rango 50-100.000 copias/ml). El ensayo de CV fue comparado con el de QL en un subgrupo de 93 muestras (78 negativas y 15 positivas). Las 174 muestras pertenecientes a niños HIV negativos tuvieron CV indetectables y entre las 40 muestras pertenecientes a niños HIV positivos, 37 evidenciaron CV detectables (2-5,88 log 10). En 4/37 muestras se detectaron CV entre 165-575 copias/ml, que en muestras posteriores evidenciaron altos valores de CV. El 83,7 % de las muestras resultaron con CV> a 4 log 10. La sensibilidad de la CV según grupo etario fue de 77,7 % < 15 días, 93,3 % entre 15-45 días y la especificidad general del 100 %. La concordancia global entre QL y CV fue del 97,8 %, siendo el ensayo de CV más sensible. Nuestros resultados sugieren la inclusión del ensayo COBAS AMPLICOR en el algoritmo diagnóstico, no presentando resultados falsos positivos.
Since in Argentina qualitative dHIV RNA (QL) test, has been discontinued, the objective of this study was to evaluate the quantitative RNA (VL) COBAS AMPLICOR monitor HIV-1, for its possible inclusion in the paediatric diagnosis of HIV infection and to evaluate the concordance between both assays. In this study 214 samples corresponding to 134 patients were included, 174 and 40 specimens from 113 HIV-negative and 21 HIV-positive patients respectively. All samples were studied for VL using the standard procedure (ST, range 400-750.000 copies/mal), and those below the linear range were further tested by the ultrasensitive method (US, range 50-100.000 copies/ml) QL and VL assays were compared among a subgroup of 93 samples (78 negative and 15 positive). All 174 samples from HIV negative children had undetectable VL. 37/40 samples from HIV-positive had detectable VL (2-5,88 log 10) 4/37 specimens had VL between 165-575 copies/ml, later samples from the corresponding patients showed high VL. 83,7 % of the samples had VL> 4 log 10. The sensitivities found were 77,7 % and 93,3 % among infants < 15 days and between 15-45 days of aged respectively. The general specificity of the COBAS AMPLICOR was 100 %. The concordance between QL and VL eas 97,8 %, showing the later one better sensitivity. Our results support the inclusion of COBAS AMPLICOR in the diagnosis algorithm, not showing false positive results.
Subject(s)
Humans , Child , Viral Load/statistics & numerical data , Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures , Early Diagnosis , Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care/methods , HIV , Nucleic Acids , RNA , Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/methods , Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly ActiveABSTRACT
La determinación de carga viral plasmática es utilizada para el seguimiento y monitoreo de pacientes infectados por el HIV-1. El objetivo del trabajo es evaluar la performance de PCR en tiempo real COBAS TaqMan 48 HIV-1 RNA en comparación con COBAS AMPLICOR HIV-1 MONITOR versión 1.5 para la cuantificación de RNA viral.
The quantification of HIV-1 viral load in plasma is a useful tool for the manafement of infected patients. Objective: to evaluate the performance of the COBAS TaquMan 48 HIV-1 real-time PCR in comparasion with the COBAS AMPLICOR HIV-1 MONITOR version 1.5 assay for quantification of viral load.
Subject(s)
Humans , HIV , Monitoring, Immunologic , Plasma , Polymerase Chain Reaction , RNA , Blood Specimen Collection/methods , Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/methods , Validation Studies as Topic , Viral LoadABSTRACT
Human Herpes virus type-8 (HHV-8) seroprevalence was studied in a population of HIV positive intravenous drug users (IVDUs) from Argentina. Analysis of this population also indirectly made it possible to study HHV-8 blood transmission, because these individuals frequently engage in needle sharing behavior and are capable of acquiring a broad array of blood borne pathogens, including Hepatitis B/C virus. The seroprevalence of HHV-8 in IVDUs was compared to a group of non-IVDUs and HIV negative individuals. Of the 223 individuals tested, 13.45 percent were HHV-8 positive, 16.99 percent in the IVDUs group, and 5.71 percent in the non-IVDUs. Among HIV positive IVDUs, 25/144 (17.36 percent) were also HHV-8 seropositive. The seropositivity rate of HHV-8 in HIV negative IVDUs was 11.1 percent. In contrast, HHV-8 seroprevalence in HIV negative heterosexual individuals without drug usage behavior was even lower (5.71 percent). The rate of HHV-8 infection in HIV positive IVDUs was three times as high compared to the non IVDU HIV negative individuals, suggesting that IVDU is a risk for HHV-8 infection. Furthermore, it was found that IVDUs showed a very high rate of Hepatitis B/C (52.77 percent), which also correlate with HHV-8 infection in this population (23.68 percent). All Hepatitis B/C positive individuals were also HIV positive. Our data confirm other studies showing that individuals who share needles are at risk for acquiring Hepatitis B/C and HIV infections. In addition, our results suggest that they are also at risk to acquiring HHV-8 infection by the same route.