Results of the 2001 AcroMetrix HIV-1 resistance proficiency program

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) drug resistance mutation testing has become a useful tool in assessing antiretroviral treatment and managing patient care. As these complex molecular genotyping procedures move into routine use in clinical laboratories, the need arises for quality control procedures that will ensure that drug resistance associated mutations are accurately identified.

The AcroMetrix HIV-1 Resistance Proficiency Program was designed to assess proficiency in the identification of HIV-1 drug resistance mutations using molecular genotyping methods. This study describes results obtained from a variety of laboratories participating in the 2001 proficiency program.

The 2001 program included three challenges, each comprised of five blind-labeled panel members containing mutations in the reverse transcriptase (RT) and/or protease (PR) genes. Challenge HIV-R01 was distributed to 19 laboratories in May 2001, challenge HIV-R02 was shipped to 25 participants in August 2001, and challenge HIV-R03 was distributed to 31 laboratories in November 2001.

Participants correctly identified 74% of the total number of mutations and 82% of the panel members (i.e. all appropriate mutations detected in each panel member) in HIV-R01, 88% of the mutations and 91% of the panel members in HIV-R02, and 75% of the mutations and 52% of the panel members in HIV-R03. The AcroMetrix HIV-1 Resistance Proficiency Program, along with AcroMetrix's Internet-based reporting system (http://www.labqc.org), provides a useful tool for assessing operator proficiency within individual laboratories, and for comparing HIV-1 resistance testing proficiency among laboratories and technology platforms worldwide.