Validation of 2006 WHO prediction scores for true HIV infection in children less than 18 months with a positive serological HIV test.

Introduction: All infants born to HIV-positive mothers have maternal HIV antibodies, sometimes persistent for 18 months. When Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is not available, August 2006 World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations suggest that clinical criteria may be used for starting antiretroviral treatment (ART) in HIV seropositive children <18 months. Predictors are at least two out of sepsis, severe pneumonia and thrush, or any stage 4 defining clinical finding according to the WHO staging system.

HPLC analysis of generic antiretroviral drugs purchased in Rwanda.

A reversed phase HPLC method using photo diode array detection for the simultaneous quantification of lamivudine, stavudine, nevirapine, zidovudine, methyl paraben and propyl paraben in solid and liquid drug formulations was developed and validated. The separation was achieved using a Waters Symmetry C8 column, using a mobile phase gradient comprising 50 mM NaH2PO4 (pH 3.8) and acetonitrile (95:5 to 45:55, v/v) and a flow gradient (0.

Determination of nevirapine and efavirenz in plasma using GC/MS in selected ion monitoring mode.

An accurate, selective, and sensitive method for the determination of the nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) nevirapine (nvp) and efavirenz (efv) in human plasma using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy in selected ion monitoring mode (GC/MS-SIM) was developed. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) gave extraction yields near 100% for both nvp and efv, and calibration curves were linear over the therapeutic concentration ranges. Variation of intraday and interday precision was below 5%.