TABLE 4.
Characteristics of major viral load assays intended for use at POC or near POC sitesa
| Manufacturer and trade name | Targeted virus(es)b | HIV-1 VL range (copies/ml)c | TAT | Plasma vol (µl) | Cold chain needed | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alere q HIV-1/2 VL plasma | HIV-1, -2 | NA | 1 h | 50 | No | 233 |
| SAMBA Semi-Q | HIV-1 | 1,000 (cutoff) | 1.5 h | 200 | No | 227, 228 |
| Cavidi Ziva | HIV-1, -2 | 200–6 × 105 | 2 days | 200–1,000 | Yes | 210, 211 |
| Cepheid GeneXpert | HIV-1 | 40–107 | 1.5 h | 1,000 | No | 234 |
| Roche Liat | HIV-1, -2 | 57–1.5 × 106 | 0.5 h | 150 | Yes | 231, 232 |
a
Abbreviations: TAT, turnaround time from blood draw to VL report; NA, information not available.
b
Although HIV-1 and -2 are detected in three assays, they do not yield discrete VL for HIV-1 and -2.
c
The HIV-2 detection range of the Roche Liat and Alere q platforms have not been specified by the manufacturers.