Clinical Use of Molecular Diagnostics for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

Abstract

Currently, molecular methods have rapidly become necessary scientific and diagnostic tools that are consideredroutine in most clinical laboratories. The use of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viral load and drugresistance testing clearly indicates the essential role that molecular diagnostics play in the management of HIV-1infected patients. HIV-1 viral load assay refers to the quantification of HIV-1 ribonucleic acid (RNA) which is veryuseful in determining when to initiate antiretroviral therapy, in monitoring response to therapy, and in predicting timeto progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The development of resistant virus is an importantcause of treatment failure. As a result, drug resistance testing is now routinely used in management of HIV-1 infectedpatients. This can be detected by using either genotypic or phenotypic assays. In summary, HIV-1 viral load and drugresistance testing have become the standard of care for monitoring response to antiretroviral therapy and improvedclinical outcomes in HIV-1 infected persons.