The establishment of a simple method for quantitative HIV-1 viral load screening

Objective Based on real-time PCR,to develop a simple and feasible method for quantitative HIV-1 viral load screening.Methods A total of 36 plasma samples (18 HIV positive and 18 HIV negative) were collected in Nanning city,Guangxi.RNA was extracted from these samples and then used to PCR amplification with primer LTR-1/ LTR-2.HIV-1 viral loads of these samples were measured by Nuclisens EasyQ HIV-1 v1.2.Correlation between Ct values of RT-PCR and viral loads was analyzed by regression analysis,and then a linear regression equation was obtained.Results The Ct values varied between 29.103-31.610 cycles among HIV-1-infected cases,while negative controls failed to be amplified by RT-PCR.The results show that there is a good linear relationship between Ct values and the logarithm of viral loads (r =-0.51,P =0.03).The regression equation was logY (viral road) =57.55-1.56 × (Ct value).Conclusion Based on real-time PCR,a simple and low cost method for quantitative HIV-1 viral load screening was established.The method has a good consistency with current commercial products and can be used for quantitative screening of HIV-1 infected patients. Key words: HIV;  Viral load;  Reverse trascriptase polymerase chain reaction