title: Design and implementation of an external quality assessment program for HIV viral load measurements using dried blood spots.
abstract: An external quality assurance program was developed for HIV-1 RNA viral load measurements taken from dried blood spots using a reference panel and field-collected specimens. The program demonstrated that accurate and reproducible quantitation can be obtained from field-collected specimens. Residual proviral DNA may confound interpretation in virologically suppressed subjects.
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Prach
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Communicable Diseases/NHLS, Johannesburg, South Africa University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puren
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Sheri A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lippman
authors.affiliation: University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stephenson
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Communicable Diseases/NHLS, Johannesburg, South Africa University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ewalde
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cutler
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barnhart
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA tliegler@sfgh.ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Teri
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liegler
mesh_terms: D001769:Blood / Q000821:virology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D059021:Laboratory Proficiency Testing / Q000379:methods*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral