title: Evaluation of the Abbott Real-Time HIV-1 quantitative assay with dried blood spot specimens.
abstract: The Abbott Real-Time HIV-1 assay was evaluated for its performance in quantification of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA in dried blood spot (DBS) samples. In total, 169 blood samples with detectable plasma HIV-1 RNA were used to extract RNA from paired DBS and liquid plasma samples, using the automated Abbott m Sample Preparation System (m2000sp). HIV-1 RNA was then quantitated by the m2000rt RealTime analyser. RNA samples suitable for real-time PCR were obtained from all but one (99.4%) of the DBS samples and HIV-1 RNA was detected in 163/168 (97.0%) samples. The correlation between HIV-1 RNA values measured in paired DBS and plasma samples was very high (r = 0.882), with 78.5% and 99.4% of cases differing by <0.5 and 1.0 log, respectively. Retesting of DBS replicates following 6 months of storage at 2-8 degrees C showed no loss of HIV-1 RNA in a subset of 89 samples. The feasibility of DBS testing coupled with automated sample processing, and the use of a latest-generation FDA-approved real-time PCR-based system, represents an encouraging first step for viral load measurement in reference centres in developing countries where access to antiretroviral therapy is expanding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marconi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balestrieri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Comastri
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Pulvirenti
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gennari
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tagliazucchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pecorari
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Borghi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zazzi
mesh_terms: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D019562:Viral Load / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral