Clinical Evaluation of Branched DNA Signal Amplification for Quantifying HIV Type 1 in Human Plasma

Yunzhen Cao, David D. ho, John Todd, Robert Kokka, Mickey Urdea, Jeffrey D. Lifson, Michael Piatak, Shande Chen, Beatrice H. Hahn, Michael S. Saag, George M. Shaw

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

109 Scopus citations

Abstract

Quantification of HIV-1 RNA in human plasma has provided unique insight into AIDS pathogenesis and promises to hasten progress in antiretroviral therapy and vaccine research. However, no generally available HIV-1 RNA assay has yet been subjected to rigorous clinical testing or to comparative evaluation with research-based RNA assays using large numbers of well-characterized clinical specimens. In this study, the Chiron Quantiplex branched DNA (bDNA) signal amplification assay was used to measure viral RNA in the plasma of 152 HIV-1-positive individuals at all stages of infection and in 12 patients before and after initiating zidovudine therapy. Eighty-six percent of patients had bDNA assay results above the 10,000-RNA Eq/ml sensitivity cutoff. Branched DNA values were significantly correlated with plasma viral RNA levels determined by quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction (QC-PCR) assay (Spearman rank correlation, r = 0.89), infectious plasma virus titers (r = 0.72), p24 antigen levels (r = 0.51), immune complex dissociated p24 antigen levels (r = 0.56), and CD4+ lymphocyte counts (r = -0.72; p < 0.0001 for all comparisons). Plasma viral RNA determinations by bDNA and QC-PCR assays were quantitatively similar in the range of 104 to 107 RNA molecules/ml [log bDNA = 0.93 + 0.80 (log QC-PCR); R = 0.81,p < 0.0001] and declined identically following the institution of zidovudine therapy (68-73% decrease from baseline). The close quantitative correlation between bDNA and QC-PCR results, and their significant association with other viral markers and CD4+ counts, support the use of plasma viral RNA measurement in HIV-1 clinical trials.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)353-361
Number of pages9
JournalAIDS Research and Human Retroviruses
Volume11
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1995

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Clinical Evaluation of Branched DNA Signal Amplification for Quantifying HIV Type 1 in Human Plasma'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this