title: Incident Infection and Resistance Mutation Analysis of Dried Blood Spots Collected in a Field Study of HIV Risk Groups, 2007-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the utility of cost-effective dried blood spot (DBS) field sampling for incidence and drug resistance surveillance of persons at high risk for HIV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated DBS collected in 2007-2010 in non-clinical settings by finger-stick from HIV-positive heterosexuals at increased risk of HIV infection (n = 124), men who have sex with men (MSM, n = 110), and persons who inject drugs (PWID, n = 58). Relative proportions of recent-infection findings among risk groups were assessed at avidity index (AI) cutoffs of ≤25%, ≤30%, and ≤35%, corresponding to an infection mean duration of recency (MDR) of 220.6, 250.4, and 278.3 days, respectively. Drug resistance mutation prevalence was compared among the risk groups and avidity indices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HIV antibody avidity testing of all self-reported ARV-naïve persons (n = 186) resulted in 9.7%, 11.3% and 14.0% with findings within the 221, 250, and 278-day MDRs, respectively. The proportion of ARV-naïve MSM, heterosexuals, and PWID reporting only one risk category who had findings below the suggested 30% AI was 23.1%, 6.9% and 3.6% (p<0.001), respectively. MSM had the highest prevalence of drug resistance and the only cases of transmitted multi-class resistance. Among the ARV-experienced, MSM had disproportionately more recent-infection results than did heterosexuals and PWID.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The disproportionately higher recent-infection findings for MSM as compared to PWID and heterosexuals increased as the MDR window increased. Unreported ARV use might explain greater recent-infection findings and drug resistance in this MSM population. DBS demonstrated utility in expanded HIV testing; however, optimal field handling is key to accurate recent-infection estimates.
authors.affiliation: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 30329, United States of America.
authors.forename: Xierong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 30329, United States of America.
authors.forename: Amanda J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, United States of America.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Forrest
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, United States of America.
authors.forename: Gabriel A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Cardenas
authors.affiliation: HIV/AIDS Section, Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida, 32399, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dano W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.affiliation: HIV/AIDS Section, Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida, 32399, United States of America.
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: LaLota
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lisa R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Metsch
authors.affiliation: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 30329, United States of America.
authors.forename: Catlainn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sionean
authors.affiliation: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 30329, United States of America.
authors.forename: S Michele
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.affiliation: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 30329, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059788:Dried Blood Spot Testing / Q000379:methods*; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology