Utilization of dried blood spot specimens can expedite nationwide surveillance of HIV drug resistance in resource-limited settings.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Surveillance of HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) is crucial to ensuring the continued success of antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs. With the concern of reduced genotyping sensitivity of HIV on dried blood spots (DBS), DBS for HIVDR surveillance have been limited to ART-naïve populations. To investigate if DBS under certain conditions may also be a feasible sample type for HIVDR testing in ART patients, we piloted nationwide surveys for HIVDR among ART patients using DBS in two African countries with rapid scale-up of ART.

Methods

EDTA-venous blood was collected to prepare DBS from adult and pediatric ART patients receiving treatment during the previous 12-36 months. DBS were stored at ambient temperature for two weeks and then at -80°C until shipment at ambient t

SUBMITTER: Zhang G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6128523 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature