title: Plasma HIV-1 RNA quantitation in HIV infected adult Zimbabweans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine HIV-1 RNA levels in plasma of HIV infected Zimbabwean adults and to correlate these with CD4+ cell counts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Specialist Immunology Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe.
  
  
  METHODS
  49 consecutive HIV infected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  CD4+ cell counts and plasma HIV-1 RNA levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on the CDC HIV classification system five patients were in early stage infection, 15 in middle, 17 in late and 12 in advanced stage of infection. The median CD4+ cell count was 165/microL (Q1 = 4; Q3 = 866). The median HIV-1 RNA levels were 73,097 RNA copies/ml (Q1 = 753; Q3 = 750,000). Eighty percent of the patients had HIV-1 RNA levels > 10,000 copies/ml and 49% had > 100,000 RNA copies/ml. Median viral loads among the four categories of infection were found to be highly significant (p < 0.001). The correlation between CD4+ cell counts and HIV-1 RNA copies for the 49 patients was highly significant (r = -0.76; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High treatment HIV-1 RNA levels were determined in the majority of patients. A highly significant correlation was obtained between plasma HIV-1 RNA levels and CD4+ cell counts.
authors.affiliation: University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Harare, Zimbabwe. immunolo@harare.iafrica.com
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Chaka
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Sibanda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019562:Viral Load; D015030:Zimbabwe
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral