16th International AIDS Conference Toronto, Canada - August 13 - 18, 2006

EVALUATION OF DRIED BLOOD SPOTS (DBS) FOR DETECTION OF HIV DNA USING PCR IN HIV-EXPOSED INFANTS IN RWANDA

Int Conf AIDS. 2006 Aug 13-18;16 Abstract No. TuAb0203

L.M.F. Gonzalez¹, P. Rugimbanya², R. Sahabo¹, E. Abrams³, W. El-Sadr³, A. Tanuri^4
1 Columbia University, ICAP-RWANDA, Kigali, Rwanda, ² Ministry of Health, National Reference laboratory, Kigali, Rwanda, ³ Columbia University, ICAP-New York, New York, United States, ⁴ Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Molecular Virology Laboratory, Genetic Depatment, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of HIV infection in infants is complicated by the presence of circulating maternal antibodies that may persist for as long as 12 – 15 months. Therefore, serologic HIV diagnosis must either wait until the baby is > 15 – 18 months of age when maternal immunoglobulin levels are no longer detectable, or one must use assays that directly detect viral particles. In addition, reliance on whole blood samples is impractical in settings where handling of such samples is logistically difficult.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the performance of the Roche Amplicor Monitor 1.5 Kit using DNA extracted from Dried Blood Spot (DBS), in the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) in Kigali Rwanda.

METHODS: Whole blood-EDTA collected from 345 HIV exposed infants < 18 months of age from 5 pediatric HIV programs were send to the NRL as a routine for PCR diagnostic. Left over were collected and 5 DBS were generated from whole blood sample. DNA was extracted from DBS, and PCR was performed using the DNA Amplicor 1.5 kit from Roche, following standard kit protocol.The DNA PCR results obtained from DBS extraction were compared in parallel with whole blood results (gold standard), and performance parameters (sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive value [NPV and PPV}) were calculated.

RESULTS: Of 345 samples tested, 54 were positive in DBS compared with 55 in whole blood, which match in 99.6%. The sensitivity of the test was 98% and the specificity 100%, the NPV was 99 % and the PPV 100%. The prevalence in the sample was 16,9%.

CONCLUSIONS: Extraction of HIV DNA from DBS appears to be a highly sensitive and specific method to detect HIV infection, comparable to using whole blood samples. DBS provide a good tool to perform infant diagnostic testing in the field.11 clinical sites are now using DBS in Rwanda.

Download PDF of this abstract.

2006-08-13
TuAb0203

Copyright © 2006 - International AIDS Society (IAS). All information and content relating to the abstracts from the 16th International AIDS Conference, such as text, graphics, logos, button icons, images, audio clips, and software is protected by copyright. Permission is hereby granted for the non-commercial use or reproduction of the information on this web site, provided that the use of such information is accompanied by an acknowledgement that IAS is the source of the information and the name of the author of the article.

AEGiS is a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline, the National Library of Medicine, Roche / Trimeris, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. 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, 2006. 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. Permission is hereby granted for the non-commercial use or reproduction of the information herein, provided that the use of such information is accompanied by an acknowledgement that IAS is the source of the information and the name of the author of the article.