Cost ramifications of increased reporting of detectable plasma HIV-1 RNA levels by the Roche COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 version 1.0 viral load test.

摘要

HIV treatment guidelines state the goal of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is virologic suppression [plasma HIV viral load (VL) below 50 copies/mL] for patients on initial and subsequent regimens. Assays measuring HIV-1 RNA VL levels have been a cornerstone in the evaluation of successful ART since 1996. Providers depend on serial VL measurements to gauge treatment success and to provide early evidence of failing ART. Over the past decade, a series of assays, each with increased ability to detect progressively lower VL levels, have been released.