Correction of underquantification of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 load with the second version of the Roche Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan assay.
Initial evaluations of the Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) test (CAP/CTM) demonstrated good performance but, afterwards, reports about underquantification were published. We investigated whether the problem was solved with a second version of this assay, the Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HIV-1 test, version 2.0 (CAP/CTM v2.0). The remaining plasma of 375 consecutive HIV-1 positive samples with a viral load of >or=4,000 copies/ml was collected in three laboratories. The samples were diluted and retested with our routine method Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas Amplicor HIV-1 monitor test v1.5 in ultrasensitive mode (CAP/CA PHS), as well as with the CAP/CTM and CAP/CTM v2.0 tests. An absolute difference between the results of two methods of >or=0.71 log(10) copies/ml was defined as moderately discrepant, and an absolute difference of >or=0.93 log(10) copies/ml was defined as severely discrepant. In addition, criteria for considering the new methods equivalent to the routine method were formulated. (i) For CAP/CTM compared to CAP/CA PHS, 36 (9.5%) and 20 (5.3%) samples were, respectively, considered moderately and severely underquantified by CAP/CTM. The mean difference between CAP/CTM and CAP/CA PHS was -0.32 log(10) copies/ml. Eight of nineteen of the severely underquantified samples were from patients infected with HIV-1 subtype B strain. (ii) For CAP/CTM v2.0 compared to CAP/CA PHS, no sample was moderately or severely underquantified by CAP/CTM v2.0. A mean difference of 0.08 log(10) copies/ml was found with CAP/CTM v2.0 compared to CAP/CA PHS. The underquantification problem of the CAP/CTM kit was clearly demonstrated. The criteria for the equivalence of CAP/CTM v2.0 to the routine test CAP/CA PHS were fulfilled.
De Bel
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A
AIDS Reference Laboratory of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Subunit UZ Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussels, Belgium. Annelies.DeBel@uzbrussel.be
Marissens
D
D
Debaisieux
L
L
Liesnard
C
C
Van den Wijngaert
S
S
Lauwers
S
S
Piérard
D
D
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019562:Viral Load / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult