Single-point mutations causing more than 100-fold underestimation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) load with the Cobas TaqMan HIV-1 real-time PCR assay

J Clin Microbiol. 2009 Apr;47(4):1238-40. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02204-08. Epub 2009 Feb 4.

Abstract

Systematic sequence analysis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) variants with RNA levels underestimated by the Cobas TaqMan HIV-1 assay demonstrated that mutations at a single position of the downstream primer can lead to the underestimation of HIV-1 RNA levels by more than 2 log and to false-negative results in minipool screening of blood donors. Mutations at this position are found in about 2% of all HIV-1 M gag sequences.

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Diagnostic Errors*
  • HIV-1 / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / methods*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Point Mutation*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • RNA, Viral / genetics*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Viral Load / methods*
  • gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / genetics

Substances

  • RNA, Viral
  • gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AM922506