AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, September 12, 2005
Staff Medical Writers

According to a recently published report from Mexico, "To measure HIV-1 RNA concentration requires venous extraction of blood, use of RNAase-free materials, and transport in a cold chain, which makes difficult the management of samples in developing countries.

"We evaluated the utility of the determination of HIV-1 RNA concentration in blood samples dried on filter paper (DBS) and subjected to different conditions, as contrasted with determination in plasma. HIV-1 RNA concentration was determined in HIV-infected patients in DBS and in plasma samples."

"Samples were subjected to the following: DBS were stored at 4, 22, and 37 degrees C for 1, 3, and 7 days; samples from patients from four regions of Mexico were mailed to a reference laboratory; DBS were sent under environmental conditions; and plasma samples were sent frozen.

"HIV-1 RNA concentrations were determined by NucliSens in DBS and by Amplicor test in plasma," wrote M.T. Alvarez-Munoz and colleagues at IMSS in Mexico City.

"HIV-I RNA concentration determined in DBS subjected to different temperatures and times had a significant correlation (r=0.99) with those obtained in plasma. When compared with values in plasma, Kappa agreement coefficients of values in DBS stored for 7 days at 4, 22, and 37 degrees C were 0.98, 0.83, and 0.94, respectively.

"Quantification of HIV-1 RNA in 108 DBS mailed from remote areas with different climates demonstrated significant correlation with those obtained in plasma (r=0.95; p<0.001)," the authors reported.

Investigators concluded, "DBS is a simple and reliable method to measure HIV-1 RNA concentration, especially when samples are mailed from remote areas to a reference center. This collection method is an economic and suitable alternative for use in developing countries."

Alvarez-Munoz and colleagues published their study in Archives of Medical Research (High correlation of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 viral load measured in dried-blood spot samples and in plasma under different storage conditions. Arch Med Res. 2005 Jul-Aug;36(4):382-6.

For more information, contact M.T. Alvarez-Munoz, IMSS, CMN SXXI, Hospital Pediatrics, Unidad Invest Med Enfermedades Infecciosas, Av Cuauhtemoc 330, Mexico City 06725, DF, Mexico.

Publisher contact information for the journal Archives of Medical Research is: Elsevier Science Inc., 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA.

Keywords: Mexico City, Mexico, HIV/AIDS, Dried Blood Spots, Viral Load, Diagnostics, Developing Countries, Collection Method.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

Reference

Alvarez-Munoz MT, Zaragoza-Rodriguez S, Rojas-Montes O, et al. High correlation of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 viral load measured in dried-blood spot samples and in plasma under different storage conditions, Arch Med Res. 2005 Jul-Aug;36(4):382-6.

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