title: Evaluation of dried blood spots with a multiplex assay for measuring recent HIV-1 infection.
abstract: Laboratory-based HIV tests for recent infection (TRIs), which primarily measure a specific serological biomarker(s) that distinguishes recent from long-term HIV infection, have facilitated the estimation of population-based incidence. Dried blood spots (DBS) on filter paper are an attractive sample source for HIV surveillance, given the simplified and cost-effective methods of specimen collection, storage, and shipment. Here, we evaluated the use of DBS in conjunction with an in-house multiplex TRI, the HIV-1-specific Bio-Plex assay, which measures direct antibody binding and avidity to multiple HIV-1 analytes. The assay performance was comparable between matched plasma and DBS samples from HIV-1 infected individuals obtained from diverse sources. The coefficients of variation, comparing the median antibody reactivity for each analyte between plasma and DBS, ranged from 2.78% to 9.40% and the correlation coefficients between the two sample types ranged from 0.89 to 0.97, depending on the analyte. The correlation in antibody reactivity between laboratory and site-prepared DBS for each analyte ranged from 0.87 to 0.98 and from 0.90 to 0.97 between site-prepared DBS and plasma. The correlation in assay measures between plasma and DBS indicate that the sample types can be used interchangeably with the Bio-Plex format, without negatively impacting the misclassification rate of the assay.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Krystin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Ambrose
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: M Susan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: S Michele
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Owen
mesh_terms: D000915:Antibody Affinity; D059788:Dried Blood Spot Testing / Q000379:methods*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010949:Plasma / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral