       Document 1271
 DOCN  M9591271
 TI    Clinical evaluation of branched DNA signal amplification for quantifying
       HIV type 1 in human plasma.
 DT    9509
 AU    Cao Y; Ho DD; Todd J; Kokka R; Urdea M; Lifson JD; Piatak M Jr; Chen S;
       Hahn BH; Saag MS; et al; Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, New York,
       New York, USA.
 SO    AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1995 Mar;11(3):353-61. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/95306139
 AB    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 10(4) to 10(7) RNA molecules/ml [log bDNA = 0.93 + 0.80
       (log QC-PCR); R2 = 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.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/BLOOD/*PHYSIOPATHOLOGY/  VIROLOGY
       Comparative Study  CD4 Lymphocyte Count  DNA/*BLOOD  Gene
       Amplification/*METHODS  Human  HIV Core Protein p24/BLOOD  HIV
       Infections/BLOOD/*PHYSIOPATHOLOGY/VIROLOGY  HIV
       Seropositivity/BLOOD/*PHYSIOPATHOLOGY/VIROLOGY  HIV-1/*ISOLATION & PURIF
       Polymerase Chain Reaction/*METHODS  Reproducibility of Results  RNA,
       Viral/*BLOOD  Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.  Support, U.S. Gov't,
       P.H.S.  Time Factors  Zidovudine/THERAPEUTIC USE  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

