title: Significant impact of non-B HIV-1 variants genetic diversity in Gabon on plasma HIV-1 RNA quantitation.
abstract: Evaluations of HIV-1 RNA viral load assays are lacking in Central Africa. The main objective of our study was to assess the reliability of HIV-1 RNA results obtained with three different assays for samples collected in Gabon. A total of 137 plasma specimens were assessed for HIV-1 RNA using the Abbott RealTime HIV-1® and Nuclisens HIV-1 EasyQ® version 2.0 assays. It included HIV-1 non-B samples (n = 113) representing six subtypes, 10 CRFs and 18 URFs from patients infected with HIV-1 and treated with antiretrovirals that were found HIV-1 RNA positive (≥300 copies/ml) with the Generic HIV viral load® assay; and samples (n = 24) from untreated individuals infected with HIV-1 but showing undetectable (<300 copies/ml) results with the Biocentric kit. For samples found positive with the Generic HIV viral load® test, correlation coefficients obtained between the three techniques were relatively low (R = 0.65 between Generic HIV viral load® and Abbott RealTime HIV-1®, 0.50 between Generic HIV viral load® and Nuclisens HIV-1 EasyQ®, and 0.66 between Abbott RealTime HIV-1® and Nuclisens HIV-1 EasyQ®). Discrepancies by at least one log10 were obtained for 19.6%, 33.7%, and 20% of samples, respectively, irrespective of genotype. Most of samples (22/24) from untreated study patients, found negative with the Biocentric kit, were also found negative with the two other techniques. In Central Africa, HIV-1 genetic diversity remains challenging for viral load testing. Further studies are required in the same area to confirm the presence of HIV-1 strains that are not amplified with at least two different viral load assays.
authors.affiliation: Retrovirology Laboratory, CIRMF, Franceville, Gabon.
authors.forename: Augustin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mouinga-Ondémé
authors.forename: Arsène
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mabika-Mabika
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alalade
authors.forename: Arnaud Delis
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Mongo
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sica
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liégeois
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rouet
mesh_terms: D005681:Gabon; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D010949:Plasma / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019562:Viral Load / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Africa; HIV-1 RNA quantification; non-B subtypes/CRFs/URFs