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Amplifying and Quantifying HIV-1 RNA in HIV Infected Individuals with Viral Loads Below the Limit of Detection by Standard Clinical Assays
Published on: September 26, 2011
HIV-1 RNA load in needles/syringes from shooting galleries in Miami: a preliminary laboratory report
P Shapshak1, R K Fujimura, J B Page
1Comprehensive Drug Research Center, University of Miami and University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33136, USA. pshapsha@med.miami.edu
Abstract:
We quantified HIV-1 RNA load in rinses from needles/syringes (N/S) obtained at shooting galleries in Miami and also analyzed the rinses for antibodies for viral proteins. In rinses from 36 N/S that contained visible blood, 14 (39%) had detectable amounts of HIV-1 RNA. Numbers of copies of HIV-1 RNA ranged from the detection limit (400 copies/ml) to 268,000 copies/ml. We also detected antibodies to HIV-1 polypeptides in 34/36 (94%) of rinses from visibly contaminated N/S using Western blots specific for the HIV-1 proteins. No antibodies were detected in laboratory rinses from six visibly clean needles. The presence of HIV-1 RNA in N/S is an important indication of the risk created by N/S sharing as well as by shared paraphernalia and wash waters by injecting drug users.
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