Comparison of Roche Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HIV-1 test version 2.0 (CAP/CTM v2.0) with other real-time PCR assays in HIV-1 monitoring and follow-up of low-level viral loads.

Viral load monitoring of HIV-1 has become standard of care in HIV-1 positive patients. In this study, we evaluated the performance characteristics of the Roche Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HIV-1 test version 2.0 (CAP/CTM v2.

Rate and influence of respiratory virus co-infection on pandemic (H1N1) influenza disease.

Objectives: Many patients with influenza have more than one viral agent with co-infection frequencies reported as high as 20%. The impact of respiratory virus copathogens on influenza disease is unclear. We sought to determine if respiratory virus co-infection with pandemic H1N1 altered clinical disease.

Impact of tuberculosis (TB) on HIV-1 activity in dually infected patients.

Active TB in HIV-1-infected subjects is associated with increased HIV-1-related immunodeficiency and mortality. We assessed plasma viral load in HIV-1-infected patients with pulmonary TB (HIV/TB) and non-TB symptomatic HIV-1-infected patients (HIV). HIV-1 load was higher in HIV/TB compared with HIV at higher CD4 counts (> 500/microl) (P < 0.

Comparative stabilities of quantitative human immunodeficiency virus RNA in plasma from samples collected in VACUTAINER CPT, VACUTAINER PPT, and standard VACUTAINER tubes.

This study compared the levels of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) virion RNA in plasma from whole blood collected in VACUTAINER CPT (cell preparation tube), VACUTAINER PPT (plasma preparation tube), VACUTAINER SST (serum separation tube), and standard VACUTAINER tubes with sodium heparin, acid citrate dextrose, sodium citrate, and potassium EDTA used as anticoagulants. Quantitative plasma HIV RNA levels were measured by branched-DNA signal amplification. Blood from all tubes was either processed within 1 to 3 h after collection or stored at room temperature or at 4 degrees C for analysis at 6 to 8 and 30 h postdraw.

Long-term follow-up of blood donors with indeterminate human immunodeficiency virus type 1 results on Western blot.

Background: At present, tens of thousands of United States blood donors who are at low risk for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection are indefinitely deferred. These persons are repeatably reactive for HIV-1 antibody in enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and are indeterminate in Western blot.

Study Design And Methods: To determine the significance and persistence of anti-HIV-1 reactivity in plasma from volunteer blood donors with HIV-1-indeterminate Western blots, 66 donors were retested for HIV-1 antibody by the same manufacturers' EIA and Western blot 5 to 7 years after the initial Western blot.