BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the use of dried blood spots (DBSs) and dried plasma spots (DPSs) locally collected in 2 rural dispensaries in Cameroon for the quantification of HIV-1 RNA. METHODS: Forty-one subjects were sampled and spots of whole blood and plasma were deposited onto Whatman 903 cards and dried at ambient temperature under local conditions. Two sets of DBS and DPS cards were done per patient. The rest of the liquid plasma (LP) was frozen until use. LPs were tested at the "Chantal Biya" International Reference Centre (Yaoundé, Cameroon) by the Abbott Real-Time HIV-1 assay (Abbott Molecular Diagnostics, Wiesbaden, Germany). One series of DBS and DPS was transported and tested between 2 and 6 weeks later at the Virology Laboratory of Saint-Etienne (France). The second series was routed by mail and tested after up to 3 months of storage at ambient temperature. RESULTS: From the first series, the correlation rate between viral loads obtained from LP and DBS, and from LP and DPS, was 0.98 and 0.99, respectively; specificity of DBS and DPS results was 100%. The results obtained from the second series indicate a great stability of DBS after long-term storage. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that DBSs collected under local conditions in resource-limited settings are suitable for the differed quantification of HIV-1 RNA.
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the use of dried blood spots (DBSs) and dried plasma spots (DPSs) locally collected in 2 rural dispensaries in Cameroon for the quantification of HIV-1 RNA. METHODS: Forty-one subjects were sampled and spots of whole blood and plasma were deposited onto Whatman 903 cards and dried at ambient temperature under local conditions. Two sets of DBS and DPS cards were done per patient. The rest of the liquid plasma (LP) was frozen until use. LPs were tested at the "Chantal Biya" International Reference Centre (Yaoundé, Cameroon) by the Abbott Real-Time HIV-1 assay (Abbott Molecular Diagnostics, Wiesbaden, Germany). One series of DBS and DPS was transported and tested between 2 and 6 weeks later at the Virology Laboratory of Saint-Etienne (France). The second series was routed by mail and tested after up to 3 months of storage at ambient temperature. RESULTS: From the first series, the correlation rate between viral loads obtained from LP and DBS, and from LP and DPS, was 0.98 and 0.99, respectively; specificity of DBS and DPS results was 100%. The results obtained from the second series indicate a great stability of DBS after long-term storage. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that DBSs collected under local conditions in resource-limited settings are suitable for the differed quantification of HIV-1 RNA.
Authors: Julie A E Nelson; J Tyler Hawkins; Maria Schanz; Katie Mollan; Melissa B Miller; John L Schmitz; Susan A Fiscus Journal: J Clin Virol Date: 2014-06-02 Impact factor: 3.168
Authors: Sarah E Rutstein; Deborah Kamwendo; Lebah Lugali; Isaac Thengolose; Gerald Tegha; Susan A Fiscus; Julie A E Nelson; Mina C Hosseinipour; Abdoulaye Sarr; Sundeep Gupta; Frank Chimbwandira; Reuben Mwenda; Ronald Mataya Journal: J Clin Virol Date: 2014-05-22 Impact factor: 3.168
Authors: Miguel Arredondo; Carolina Garrido; Neil Parkin; Natalia Zahonero; Silvia Bertagnolio; Vincent Soriano; Carmen de Mendoza Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2011-12-14 Impact factor: 5.948
Authors: Trevor Van Schooneveld; Susan Swindells; Sarah R Nelson; Brian L Robbins; Ryan Moore; Courtney V Fletcher Journal: Antimicrob Agents Chemother Date: 2010-07-26 Impact factor: 5.191
Authors: Bharat S Parekh; Chin-Yih Ou; Peter N Fonjungo; Mireille B Kalou; Erin Rottinghaus; Adrian Puren; Heather Alexander; Mackenzie Hurlston Cox; John N Nkengasong Journal: Clin Microbiol Rev Date: 2018-11-28 Impact factor: 26.132