title: Comparative RNA quantification of HIV-1 group M and non-M with the Roche Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HIV-1 v2.0 and Abbott Real-Time HIV-1 PCR assays.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A new version of the Roche Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HIV-1 assay (CA/CTM v2.0) has been introduced to overcome the underquantification observed with the first version.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the Roche Cobas CA/CTM v2.0 and Abbott RealTime HIV-1 assays for HIV-1 group M and non-M viral load measurement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a good correlation (r = 0.96) between the 2 techniques for the 260 HIV-1 group M plasma samples tested. The Roche Cobas assay gave significantly higher values than the Abbott assay, and 51 samples (20%) yielded differences greater than 0.5 log10 copies per milliliter. Conversely, 2 samples were more than 0.5 log10 copies per milliliter higher with the Abbott assay than with the Roche Cobas assay. Among the 84 samples with undetectable viral load in the Abbott assay (detection limit 40 copies/mL), 17 (20%) were detectable with the CA/CTM v2.0 assay (detection limit 20 copies/mL), with values ranging from 41 to 897 copies per milliliter. Extrapolation of the Abbott curves led to 10/17 (59%) of these samples being quantifiable. HIV-1 groups O and P were similarly quantified by the two techniques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the Roche Cobas CA/CTM v2.0 and Abbott RealTime HIV-1 assays correlate well. The new version of the CA/CTM assay shows improved sensitivity. Nevertheless, the 2 assays differ by more than 0.5 log₁₀ copies per milliliter for some samples.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis AP-HP, INSERM U941, Université Paris-Diderot, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sire
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vray
authors.forename: Mourad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Merzouk
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Plantier
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pavie
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maylin
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Timsit
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lascoux-Combe
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Constance
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delaugerre
mesh_terms: D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D019562:Viral Load / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic