title: Quantification of a very low level of serum human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA using competitive PCR at intervals and the clinical course.
abstract: Quantification of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genomic RNA levels below the detection limit (400 copies/ml) of commercially available quantification kits is possible by increasing the amount of serum samples using competitive PCR conditions. We evaluated disease prognosis in patients without symptoms for a long period after infection (long-term non-progressors) and patients in whom the virus was controlled to a low level by administration of anti-HIV drugs. For 102 of the 414 serum samples stored at -80 degrees C which showed HIV-1 RNA below 400 copies/ml by competitive PCR using 100 to 200 microl sera, an increase in the sample volume to 500-2000 microl, extraction of HIV-1 RNA, and quantitative detection by competitive PCR was performed. Follow-up quantification of serum HIV-1 RNA from 4 patients indicated that this method is useful in assessing prognosis in the early stage of the disease in patients without symptoms for a long period after infection (long-term non-progressors) and patients in whom the virus in the serum was controlled by administration of anti-HIV drugs to below the detection limit of commercially available quantification kits. Quantification of low level serum HIV-1 RNA was also considered useful as a parameter of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Naitou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mimaya
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horikoshi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morita
mesh_terms: D015658:HIV Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral