Evolution in the sensitivity of quantitative HIV-1 viral load tests

Bryan R Cobb; Jeffrey E Vaks; Tri Do; Regis A Vilchez

doi:10.1016/j.jcv.2011.09.015

Evolution in the sensitivity of quantitative HIV-1 viral load tests

J Clin Virol. 2011 Dec:52 Suppl 1:S77-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2011.09.015. Epub 2011 Oct 28.

Authors

Bryan R Cobb¹, Jeffrey E Vaks, Tri Do, Regis A Vilchez

Affiliation

¹ Roche Molecular Systems, 4300 Hacienda Drive, Pleasanton, CA, USA. bryan.cobb@roche.com

PMID: 22036041
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2011.09.015

Abstract

Significant advancements in molecular diagnostics have been made since the inception and application of PCR-based technologies in clinical diagnostic laboratories and the management of HIV-1 infected patients. More recently, real-time PCR has improved the overall performance of assays used for detecting and quantifying HIV-1 RNA viral load in patients undergoing antiretroviral treatment. The effects of these changes and the interpretations of the HIV-1 viral load results are discussed in this review in the context of the different assays used, the viral dynamics of the HIV-1 virus, and the recent changes to HIV-1 treatment guidelines.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Guidelines as Topic / standards
HIV Infections / diagnosis*
HIV Infections / immunology
HIV Infections / virology
HIV-1 / genetics
HIV-1 / immunology
HIV-1 / pathogenicity
Humans
RNA, Viral / analysis*
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / standards
Sensitivity and Specificity
Viral Load / immunology*
Viral Load / methods

Substances

RNA, Viral