HIV/AIDS Diagnostics: Simple assay monitors CD4+ cells in HIV/AIDS patients in resource-limited settings

AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, November 13, 2006
Staff Medical Writers

"Serial measurements of absolute CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts are required to initiate and gauge response to therapy and monitor disease progression. Hence, there is an urgent need to evaluate the accuracy and validity of low-cost CD4+ T-cell count assays," scientists in India report.

According to researchers, "Tripotassium EDTA blood specimens from HIV-infected individuals were studied using a novel flow cytometric assay (EasyCD4 assay; Guava Technologies, Hayward, CA) in comparison with standard flow cytometry (FACSCount; Becton Dickinson Immunocytometry Systems, San Jose, CA)."

"The sensitivity, specificity value by EasyCD4 assay in enumerating absolute CD4+ T-cell counts of less than 200 cells/mcL were 95 and 100%, respectively.

"Bland-Altman analysis showed close agreement, with the EasyCD4 assay yielding CD4+T-cell counts a mean difference of -26 cells/mcL (95% confidence interval, -96 to 44 cells/mcL) higher than by flow cytometry," wrote P. Balakrishnan and colleagues at the YRG Center for AIDS Research & Education in Chennai.

The authors concluded, "Our data suggest that EasyCD4 assay could be a useful alternative assay to conventional flow cytometry, may be appropriate for use in resource-limited settings."

Balakrishnan and colleagues published their study in Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (A reliable and inexpensive EasyCD4 assay for monitoring HIV-infected individuals in resource-limited settings. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2006 Sep;43(1):23-6).

For more information, contact P. Balakrishnan, YRG Center AIDS Research & Education, YRG, CARE, Voluntary Health Science Campus, Madras 600113, Tamil Nadu, India.

Publisher contact information for the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes is: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 530 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106-3621, USA.

Keywords: Chennai, India, HIV/AIDS, Diagnostics, Flow Cytometry, Resource Limited Setting, CD4 T Cell Count.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

Reference

Balakrishnan P, Solomon S, Mohanakrishnan J, et al., “A reliable and inexpensive EasyCD4 assay for monitoring HIV-infected individuals in resource-limited settings”, J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2006 Sep;43(1):23-6.

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