title: Evaluation of the clinical sensitivity for the quantification of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA in plasma: Comparison of the new COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 with three current HIV-RNA assays--LCx HIV RNA quantitative, VERSANT HIV-1 RNA 3.0 (bDNA) and COBAS AMPLICOR HIV-1 Monitor v1.5.
abstract: The COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 test (Roche Diagnostics) was compared with the LCx HIV RNA quantitative assay (Abbott Laboratories), the Versant HIV-1 RNA 3.0 (bDNA) assay (Bayer) and the COBAS Amplicor HIV-1 Monitor v1.5 test (Roche Diagnostics), using plasma samples of various viral load levels from HIV-1-infected individuals. In the comparison of TaqMan with LCx, TaqMan identified as positive 77.5% of the 240 samples versus 72.1% identified by LCx assay, while their overall agreement was 94.6% and the quantitative results of samples that were positive by both methods were strongly correlated (r=0.91). Similarly, in the comparison of TaqMan with bDNA 3.0, both methods identified 76.3% of the 177 samples as positive, while their overall agreement was 95.5% and the quantitative results of samples that were positive by both methods were strongly correlated (r=0.95). Finally, in the comparison of TaqMan with Monitor v1.5, TaqMan identified 79.5% of the 156 samples as positive versus 80.1% identified by Monitor v1.5, while their overall agreement was 95.5% and the quantitative results of samples that were positive by both methods were strongly correlated (r=0.96). In conclusion, the new COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 test showed excellent agreement with other widely used commercially available tests for the quantitation of HIV-1 viral load.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, National Retrovirus Reference Center, Athens University Medical School, and General Hospital of Athens G. Gennimatas, Greece.
authors.forename: Antigoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsoulidou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrodaskalaki
authors.forename: Vana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sypsa
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papachristou
authors.forename: Cleo G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Anastassopoulou
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gargalianos
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karafoulidou
authors.forename: Marios
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazanas
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kordossis
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andoniadou
authors.forename: Angelos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hatzakis
mesh_terms: D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic