title: Measure of viral load by using the Abbott Real-Time HIV-1 assay on dried blood and plasma spot specimens collected in 2 rural dispensaries in Cameroon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to evaluate the use of dried blood spots (DBSs) and dried plasma spots (DPSs) locally collected in 2 rural dispensaries in Cameroon for the quantification of HIV-1 RNA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one subjects were sampled and spots of whole blood and plasma were deposited onto Whatman 903 cards and dried at ambient temperature under local conditions. Two sets of DBS and DPS cards were done per patient. The rest of the liquid plasma (LP) was frozen until use. LPs were tested at the "Chantal Biya" International Reference Centre (Yaoundé, Cameroon) by the Abbott Real-Time HIV-1 assay (Abbott Molecular Diagnostics, Wiesbaden, Germany). One series of DBS and DPS was transported and tested between 2 and 6 weeks later at the Virology Laboratory of Saint-Etienne (France). The second series was routed by mail and tested after up to 3 months of storage at ambient temperature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the first series, the correlation rate between viral loads obtained from LP and DBS, and from LP and DPS, was 0.98 and 0.99, respectively; specificity of DBS and DPS results was 100%. The results obtained from the second series indicate a great stability of DBS after long-term storage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that DBSs collected under local conditions in resource-limited settings are suitable for the differed quantification of HIV-1 RNA.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherches Médicales et d'Etude des Plantes Médicinales, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: André Dieudonné
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Mbida
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sosso
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Flori
authors.forename: Henia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saoudin
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monny-Lobé
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oyono
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ndzi
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cappelli
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lucht
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pozzetto
authors.forename: Odile Ouwe Missi
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Oukem-Boyer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bourlet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods*; D002163:Cameroon; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000821:virology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019562:Viral Load / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic