@article{3098824, title = "Evaluation of the clinical sensitivity for the quantification of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA in plasma: Comparison of the new COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 with three current HIV-RNA assays-LCx HIV RNA quantitative, VERSANT HIV-1 RNA 3.0 (bDNA) and COBAS AMPLICOR HIV-1 Monitor v1.5", author = "Katsoulidou, A and Petrodaskalaki, M and Sypsa, V and Papachristou, E and and Anastassopoulou, CG and Gargalianos, P and Karafoulidou, A and and Lazanas, M and Kordossis, T and Andoniadou, A and Hatzakis, A", journal = "Journal of Virological Methods", year = "2006", volume = "131", number = "2", pages = "168-174", publisher = "ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV", issn = "0166-0934", doi = "10.1016/j.jviromet.2005.07.014", keywords = "HIV-1 RNA; viral load; cobas TaqMan; LCx; branched DNA; COBAS amplicor monitor v1.5", abstract = "The COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 test (Roche Diagnostics) was compared with the LCx HIV RNA quantitative assay (Abbott Laboratories), the Versant HIV-1 RNA 3.0 (bDNA) assay (Bayer) and the COBAS Amplicor HIV-1 Monitor v1.5 test (Roche Diagnostics), using plasma samples of various viral load levels from HIV-1-infected individuals. In the comparison of TaqMan with LCx, TaqMan identified as positive 77.5% of the 240 samples versus 72.1% identified by LCx assay, while their overall agreement was 94.6% and the quantitative results of samples that were positive by both methods were strongly correlated (r = 0.91). Similarly, in the comparison of TaqMan with bDNA 3.0, both methods identified 76.3% of the 177 samples as positive, while their overall agreement was 95.5% and the quantitative results of samples that were positive by both methods were strongly correlated (r = 0.95). Finally, in the comparison of TaqMan with Monitor v 1.5, TaqMan identified 79.5% of the 156 samples as positive versus 80.1% identified by Monitor v 1.5, while their overall agreement was 95.5% and the quantitative results of samples that were positive by both methods were strongly correlated (r = 0.96). In conclusion, the new COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 test showed excellent agreement with other widely used commercially available tests for the quantitation of HIV-1 viral load. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved." }