A comparison of immunocomplex-dissociated serum HIV-1 p24 antigenemia and plasma HIV-1 viral load: assessment of 3,129 paired assays.
In order to compare HIV-1 p24 antigenemia and plasma HIV-1 RNA levels as markers of viral replication, 3,129 paired determinations of alkaline immunocomplex-dissociated serum HIV-1 p24 antigenemia (performed with an immunoenzymatic assay), and plasma HIV-1 RNA levels (carried out with a branched DNA method, a reverse transcriptase-coupled polymerase chain reaction, and a nucleic acid sequence-based assay) were assessed over a two-year-period. When excluding samples with undetectable plasma HIV-1 RNA levels (which tested negative or borderline positive at serum p24 antigen assay in 97.9% of cases), immunocomplex-dissociated p24 antigenemia proved significantly less sensitive than viral load at all considered HIV-1 RNA reference levels, although the profile of positive serum p24 antigen assays (values above 10 pg/ml) paralleled the trend of plasma HIV-1 viral load, especially at higher levels. However, serum HIV-1 p24 antigenemia (even after immunocomplex dissociation) can be longer suggested as a the sole virological tool in the laboratory management of HIV-1 infection, due to its significantly lower sensitivity levels compared with viral load assessment.
Manfredi
R
R
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Bologna, Italy.
Borderi
M
M
Re
M C
MC
Furlini
G
G
Monari
P
P
Spinosa Guzmán
S M
SM
Tadolini
M
M
Talò
S
S
Donzelli
C
C
Maldini
C
C
Chiodo
F
F
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019562:Viral Load; D014779:Virus Replication
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D012367:RNA, Viral