AEGiS-15IAC: The PARTEC CyFlow counter for CD4+ T-cell counting produces high quality results and is robust when evaluated under routine field conditions in Malawi.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

The PARTEC CyFlow counter for CD4+ T-cell counting produces high quality results and is robust when evaluated under routine field conditions in Malawi.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. TuOrB1149)

Fryland M, Chaillet P, Bonte L, Barnaba A, Teck R, Odiambo D, Zachariah R
Medecins sans Frontieres, Brussels, Belgium

BACKGROUND: It is important to monitor CD4+ T-Cell counts in HIV-positive individuals in order to decide when to initiate anti-retroviral treatment (ART) and to assess immunological evolution. A instrument called the Partec CyFlow Counter ó ä ó (Partec GmbH, Munster, Germany) is now available for CD4+ counting. This machine has particular advantages over other available CD4 counting machines; it is small and thus can be moved between different sites, it is able to function on a car battery, and the reagents are cheaper than that for other CD4 machines (FacsCount and FacsScan, BectDickinson). We evaluated if a) the Partec Cyflow Counter could be introduced into a routine district laboratory in Malawi and b)it would produce CD4 results of acceptable quality.

METHODS: The Cyflow counter was installed in a district laboratory in rural Malawi. During a 2 month period, consecutive blood samples from HIV-positive and negative individuals presenting to routine clinics were collected from 2 field sites and transported to the laboratory for CD4+ cell counting. The results were compared with a reference method, the FacsCount.

RESULTS: There were a total of 311 blood samples that were analyzed using both the Cyflow counter and the FacsCount. The CD4 count range in blood samples was 2 to 1789 cells/mul. The correlation coefficient for the Cyflow Counter was 0.92 (0.89-0.95). The mean difference in CD4 count values with FacsCount was -8.68 (-18.8 to 1.4). Intra-run variation was less than 3%. After being trained, local district laboratory staff found the Partec machine easy to manipulate and robust under routine field conditions.

CONCLUSIONS: The Partec CyFlow counter produces excellent results in a field setting and can be installed in a district hospital setting. It could provide HIV/AIDS programs with a new option for CD4+ monitoring in the context of scaling-up ART in resource-limited settings.

Keywords: AEGIS, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Antigens, CD4, HIV Seropositivity, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Malawi, T-Lymphocytes, Indicators and Reagents, Germany, immunology

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TuOrB1149