Forbi J C, Gabadi S, Iperepolu H O, Esona M D, Agwale S M
Virology Research Laboratory, Innovative Biotech-Abuja/Keffi, Nigeria.
Niger J Clin Pract. 2010 Sep;13(3):284-7.
Viral load (VL) quantification is considered an integral part of the standard care in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals but in Nigeria as in most of sub-Saharan Africa, this has not reached the majority ofpatients.
We report the first field application of the NucliSens EasyQ HIV-1 platform for the real time quantification of HIV-1 VL combining NASBA amplification and real time detection with molecular beacons among HIV-1 infected individuals in north central Nigeria where the predominant HIV-1 subtypes are CRF02_AG and G. CD4+ counts were enumerated using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter system.
Of one hundred and forty nine (n=149) plasma sample from patients with mean age of 32 years and made up of 77 males and 72 females, fifty {n=50 (37.9%); 28 males and 22 females} had VLs below the lower detection limit (LDL=25 IU/ml) set by the assay while eighty-two {n=82 (62.1%); 39 males and 43 females} had VL levels above the LDL. Furthermore, 13 of 82 (15.9%) patients with viral loads above the LDL had VLs between 26-1000 IU/ml while 69 (84.1%) had VLs of 1001-2,400,000 IU/ml. 17 (11.4%) of the samples could not be analyzed due to poor viral amplification. Among individuals with both CD4+ and VL results (n=56), those with CD4+ of 1-418 cell/microl presented with higher VL usually above 45,000 IU/ml when compared with those with CD4+ of over 500 cell/microl.
Our findings highlight the pattern, usefulness and feasibility ofVL quantification by NucliSens EasyQ in monitoring HIV-1 patients in Nigeria.
病毒载量（VL）定量被认为是人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）感染者标准治疗的一个组成部分，但在尼日利亚以及撒哈拉以南非洲的大部分地区，大多数患者尚未能进行此项检测。
我们报告了NucliSens EasyQ HIV-1平台在尼日利亚中北部HIV-1感染者中的首次现场应用，该平台结合核酸序列扩增技术（NASBA）扩增和分子信标实时检测对HIV-1病毒载量进行实时定量，当地主要的HIV-1亚型为CRF02_AG和G型。使用荧光激活细胞分选系统对CD4+细胞计数进行测定。
149份血浆样本来自平均年龄为32岁的患者，其中男性77例，女性72例。50例{n = 50（37.9%）；男性28例，女性22例}的病毒载量低于检测下限（LDL = 25 IU/ml），82例{n = 82（62.1%）；男性39例，女性43例}的病毒载量高于检测下限。此外，82例病毒载量高于检测下限的患者中，13例（15.9%）的病毒载量在26 - 1000 IU/ml之间，69例（84.1%）的病毒载量在1001 - 2,400,000 IU/ml之间。17份样本（11.4%）因病毒扩增不佳无法进行分析。在同时有CD4+和病毒载量结果的个体中（n = 56），CD4+细胞数为1 - 418个/微升的个体，其病毒载量通常高于45,000 IU/ml，而CD4+细胞数超过500个/微升的个体则相对较低。
我们的研究结果突出了NucliSens EasyQ进行病毒载量定量在尼日利亚监测HIV-1患者方面的模式、实用性和可行性。
