Viral Load Trends in HIV Patients

A study of the viral load record of more than 600,000 HIV patients showed that patients who were more frequently monitored had greater suppression of viral load. This finding supports the belief that frequent blood monitoring and associated adjustments in therapy lead to more accurate intervention by treating physicians. The study was a collaborative effort among the University of North Carolina's Center for AIDS Research, the School of Public Health's biostatistical department, and Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp, Burlington, NC, USA).

LabCorp examined more than 600,000 test results and reported the following trends. The number of patients with undetectable viral load has risen dramatically, from 9% in 1996 to 44% by the end of 1999. Patients with lower initial viral loads were more likely to have suppressed viral loads. Viral rebound occurred in more than half the patients within a year. Male patients, older patients, or patients from the western part of the United States were more likely to have undetectable viral loads. Pediatric patients had the highest initial viral loads and were least likely to have suppressed viral loads.

LabCorp, the first U.S. laboratory to offer polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for early detection of HIV infection, now offers HIV genotyping and phenotyping for resistance testing. Specialists at the center's infectious disease laboratory focus on molecular diagnostics, using PCR and DNA probes to improve patient care by detecting, identifying, and quantifying pathogens.

The results from this study will provide HIV researchers and care providers with a clearer understanding of the factors associated with greater suppression of HIV viral load, said Dr. Hawazin Faruki, lead author of the study and LabCorp's vice president of operations
for the Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology.



Related Links:
Laboratory Corporation of America