Quantiplex HIV branched DNA viral load test data

CHIR researchers and university colleagues published in Science previously reported results of a 10-year study showing that viral load is a better predictor of HIV prognosis than CD4 counts (see BioCentury, Feb. 5). Samples from 180 patients were compared for CD4 counts, and viral load using CHIR's Quantiplex branched DNA test. Patients were followed for progression to AIDS and death.

Viral load provided excellent discrimination of both time to AIDS and time to death (p<0.001), they reported. For quartiles ranging from the lowest through the highest baseline viral load, the proportion of subjects who progressed to AIDS by five years after study entry were 8, 26, 49 and 62 percent, respectively. The median times to development of AIDS for subjects in these viral load quartiles were >10, 7.7, 5.3 and 3.5 years, respectively. ...