Comparison of the Generic HIV Viral Load® assay with the Amplicor™ HIV-1 Monitor v1.5 and Nuclisens HIV-1 EasyQ® v1.2 techniques for plasma HIV-1 RNA quantitation of non-B subtypes: The Kesho Bora preparatory study

The implementation of cost effective HIV-1 RNA quantitation assays in resource-poor settings is of paramount importance for monitoring HV-1 infection. A study comparing the analytical performance of three HIV-1 RNA assays (Generic HIV Viral Load®, Amplicor™ v1.5 and Nuclisens EasyQ® v1.2) was performed on 160 plasma samples from 160 consecutive antiretroviral treatment naive HIV-1-infected pregnant women assessed for eligibility in the Kesho Bora trial aimed at prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 in three African countries (Burkina Faso, Kenya and South Africa). Correlation and agreement of results of the three assays were assessed for plasma HIV-1 RNA quantitation in specimens harbouring mainly sub-subtype A1, subtype C, and circulating recombinant form (CRF) 02_AG and CRF06_cpx.