AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, October 17, 2005
Staff Medical Writers

"More than 35 million people in developing countries are living with HIV infection. An enormous global effort is now underway to bring antiretroviral treatment to at least 3 million of those infected," scientists in the United States report.

"While drug prices have dropped considerably, the cost and technical complexity of laboratory tests essential for the management of HIV disease, such as CD4 cell counts, remain prohibitive. New, simple, and affordable methods for measuring CD4 cells that can be implemented in resource-scarce settings are urgently needed.

"Here we describe the development of a prototype for a simple, rapid, and affordable method for counting CD4 lymphocytes," wrote W.R. Rodriguez and colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"Microliter volumes of blood without further sample preparation are stained with fluorescent antibodies, captured on a membrane within a miniaturized flow cell and imaged through microscope optics with the type of charge-coupled device developed for digital camera technology.

"An associated computer algorithm converts the raw digital image into absolute CD4 counts and CD4 percentages in real time," investigators said.

"The accuracy of this prototype system was validated through testing in the United States and Botswana," continued Rodriguez, "and showed close agreement with standard flow cytometry (r=0.95) over a range of absolute CD4 counts, and the ability to discriminate clinically relevant CD4 count thresholds with high sensitivity and specificity."

The authors concluded, "Advances in the adaptation of new technologies to biomedical detection systems, such as the one described here, promise to make complex diagnostics for HIV and other infectious diseases a practical global reality."

Rodriguez and colleagues published their study in PloS Medicine (A microchip CD4 counting method for HIV monitoring in resource-poor settings - art. no. e182. PLoS Med, 2005;2(7):663-672).

For more information, contact W.R. Rodriguez, Massachusetts General Hospital, Partners AIDS Research Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.

Publisher contact information for the journal Plos Medicine is: Public Library Science, 185 Berry St., Ste. 1300, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA.

Keywords: Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States, HIV/AIDS, Diagnostics, Microchips, Resource-Poor Setting, CD4 Counting Method.

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

051017
AW051007

Copyright © 2005 - Charles Henderson, Publisher. All rights Reserved. Permission to reproduce granted to AEGIS by Charles W. Henderson. Authorization to reproduce for personal use granted granted by C. W. Henderson, Publisher, provided that the fee of US$4.50 per copy, per page is paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, 27 Congress Street, Salem, Massachusetts 01970, USA. Published by Charles Henderson, Publisher. Editorial & Publishing Office: P.O. Box 5528, Atlanta, GA 30307-0528 / Telephone: (800) 633-4931; Subscription Office: P.O. Box 830409, Birmingham, AL 35283-0409 / FAX: (205) 995-1588 http://www.newsrx.net

AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright © 1980,2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.