Optimization of Specimen-Handling Procedures for Accurate ...

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and Roche Molecular Systems, Somerville, New Jersey2 ... collected from 20 HIV-1-infected patients in EDTA, acid citrate dextrose (ACD), and heparin tubes, ... and Prevention (CDC) classification (2, 3) were obtained for each patient at the.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY, Apr. 1998, p. 1070–1073 0095-1137/98/$04.0010 Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology

Vol. 36, No. 4

Optimization of Specimen-Handling Procedures for Accurate Quantitation of Levels of Human Immunodeficiency Virus RNA in Plasma by Reverse Transcriptase PCR RUTH E. DICKOVER,1 STEVEN A. HERMAN,2 KHALIQ SADDIQ,1 DEBORAH WAFER,1 MARYANNE DILLON,1 AND YVONNE J. BRYSON1* Department of Pediatrics, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California,1 and Roche Molecular Systems, Somerville, New Jersey2 Received 19 June 1997/Returned for modification 27 August 1997/Accepted 20 January 1998

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA levels in plasma are currently widely used clinically for prognostication and in monitoring antiretroviral therapy. Accurate and reproducible results are critical for patient management. To determine the effects of specimen collection and handling procedures on quantitative measurement of HIV-1 RNA, we compared anticoagulants and sample processing times. Whole blood was collected from 20 HIV-1-infected patients in EDTA, acid citrate dextrose (ACD), and heparin tubes, aliquoted, and stored at room temperature. Plasma was separated from whole-blood aliquots prepared at

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