Use of plastic vacutainer tubes for quantification of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in blood specimens.

Author(s): Landry ML, Garner R, Ferguson D

Publication: J Clin Microbiol, 2001, Vol. 39, Page 354-6

PubMed ID: 11136799 PubMed Review Paper? No

Purpose of Paper

Conclusion of Paper

Studies

1. Study Purpose

   The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of collection container and assay type on the quantification of HIV in plasma. Plasma was stored at -70 degrees C until analysis.

   Summary of Findings:

   The viral loads in specimens collected in plastic tubes and those collected in glass tubes were generally within 0.5 log units of each other. The correlation of specimens collected in glass with those in plastic was 0.978 (p<0.0001) for the standard assay and 0.972 (p<0.0001) for the ultrasensitive assay. Using the standard assay, no virus was detected in 2 specimens collected in plastic, while virus was detected when specimens from the same patient were collected in glass. Two other specimens contained virus that was not detected in glass but was detected in plastic. Using the ultrasensitive assay, there were 9 specimens in which virus could not be detected when collected in plastic, but was detected when blood was collected in glass and there were 2 specimens for which the inverse was true. The authors conclude that plastic tubes can be used as a substitute for glass when quantifying HIV.

   Biospecimens

   • Bodily Fluid - Plasma
   • Bodily Fluid - Blood

   Preservative Types

   • Frozen

   Diagnoses:

   • AIDS/HIV-related

   Platform:

   Analyte	Technology Platform
   RNA	RT-PCR

   Pre-analytical Factors:

   Classification	Pre-analytical Factor	Value(s)
   Biospecimen Acquisition	Type of collection container/solution	Plastic Vacutainer Glass Vacutainer
   RT-PCR Specific	Technology platform	Amplicor ultrasensitive assay Amplicor standard assay

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