Comparison of the artus HIV-1 QS-RGQ and VERSANT HIV-1 RNA 1.0 assays for quantitative detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in plasma samples

• Published in: The New microbiologica 2015-07, Vol.38 (3), p.337-344
• Main Authors: Dvir, Roee, Canducci, Filippo, Racca, Sara, Rolla, Serena, Stucchi, Sonia, Clementi, Massimo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: HIV Infections - diagnosis; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1 - genetics; HIV-1 - isolation & purification; HIV-1 - physiology; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Humans; Lentivirus; Polymerase Chain Reaction - instrumentation; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; RNA, Viral - blood; RNA, Viral - genetics; RNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Viral Load
• ISSN: 1121-7138

Several integrated diagnostic platforms to quantify human immunodeficiency virus type-1 viremia have been developed in recent years. We evaluated the performances of the Artus HIV-1 QS-RGQ assay, using the complete QIAsymphony RGQ workflow. 192 clinical plasma specimens and external control panel samples were analyzed, using the Artus assay and the routine Siemens VERSANT HIV-1 RNA 1.0 assay. Three samples were excluded due to amplification inhibition. Among the remaining 189 specimens, 130 samples were detected as positive (above the limit of detection by both assays; median log10 difference: 0.01) and 18 samples were detected as negative. Eight samples (4.2%), all slightly above the limit of detection of the Versant assay, were negative with the Artus assay. The remaining 33 samples (beside 3 negative by Artus assay) were positive by both assays, but below the limit of detection at least in one of them. Results from the external panel samples showed a mean Log10 variation of -0.18 and -0.45 for the Versant and the Artus assays, respectively. As both assays showed highly correlated results, the QIAsymphony RGQ system, using the Artus HIV-1 QS-RGQ assay, could be considered a potential platform for HIV-1 RNA quantification in plasma.