Medoune Ndiaye¹,²*, Mamadou Soumboudou¹, ³, Serigne Fallou Ndiaye¹, Ndella Pouye¹

 ¹Hôpital des Enfants de Diamniadio, Dakar, Sénégal

²Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Sénégal

³Université Iba Der Thiam, Thies, Sénégal

Received: Feb 21, 2025/ Revised: Mar 14, 2025/Accepted: Mar 27, 2025

(✉) Corresponding Author: medounebiologie@gmail.com

Abstract

Real-time PCR is a molecular biology technique that combines nucleic acid amplification and detection. This technique is ideal for monitoring HIV infection treatment. The objective of this study is to detect HIV-1 RNA using GeneXpert technology, specifically the Xpert HIV-1 Viral Load test which can detect and quantify HIV-1 RNA from groups M, N and O across a range of 40 to 10,000,000 copies/ml. We collected and tested 30 patient samples: 25 adults on treatment and regularly monitored, and 5 children born to HIV-positive parents. 1 ml of plasma was pipetted and transferred into the sample chamber of the cartridge. The test was run on the GeneXpert system according to the specified timeline in the instructions. The Xpert HIV-1 Viral Load test showed excellent performance, with results either negative (undetectable viral RNA) for 26.6% of patients, or positive (viral RNA at 40 copies/ml or between 40-106 copies/ml) for 20% and 53.4% of patients respectively. The Xpert HIV-1 Viral Load offers a rapid (<90 min) alternative to centralized testing, with sensitivity suitable for therapeutic monitoring, particularly in remote areas. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment in HIV-positive patients, showing cases with undetectable viral RNA along with some cases of first-line treatment failure.

Keywords: HIV-1 viral load, Genexpert, Molecular diagnostics

References

Ba, S., Dia-Badiane, N. M., Hawes, S. E., Deguenonvo, L. F., Sall, F., Ndour, C. T., Faye, K., Traoré, F., Touré, M., Sy, M. P., Raugi, D. N., Kiviat, N. B., Smith, R. A., Seydi, M., Sow, P. S., & Gottlieb, G. S. (2019). HIV-2 infection in Senegal: Virological failures and resistance to antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). The Pan African Medical Journal, 33, 222. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2019.33.222.15771

Bwana, P., Ageng’o, J., & Mwau, M. (2019). Performance and usability of Cepheid GeneXpert HIV-1 qualitative and quantitative assay in Kenya. Plos One, 14(3).

Désiré, N., Dehée, A., Schneider, V., Jacomet, C., Goujon, C., Girard, P.-M., Rozenbaum, W., & Nicolas, J.-C. (2001). Quantification of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Proviral Load by a TaqMan Real-Time PCR Assay. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 39(4), 1303‑1310. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.39.4.1303-1310.2001

Ehret, R., Harb, K., Breuer, S., & Obermeier, M. (2022). Performance assessment of the new Xpert® HIV-1 viral load XC assay for quantification of HIV-1 viral loads. Journal of Clinical Virology, 149, 105127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcv.2022.105127

Expert consensus: Viral load and risk of HIV transmission. (n.d.).

Fact sheet – Latest statistics on the AIDS epidemic | UNAIDS. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2023, from https://www.unaids.org/fr/resources/fact-sheet

Fact sheet – Latest statistics on the AIDS epidemic | UNAIDS. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2023, from https://www.unaids.org/fr/resources/fact-sheet

Gueudin, M., Baron, A., Alessandri-Gradt, E., Lemée, V., Mourez, T., Etienne, M., & Plantier, J.-C. (2016). Performance evaluation of the new HIV-1 quantification assay, Xpert HIV-1 viral load, on a wide panel of HIV-1 variants. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, 72(5), 521-526. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000001003

Mukendi, A., Kufa, T., Murray, T., Burke, M., Strehlau, R., Technau, K.-G., Tiemessen, C. T., Sherman, G. G., & Mazanderani, A. H. (2021). Evaluating the performance of the GeneXpert HIV-1 qualitative assay as a consecutive test for a new early infant diagnosis algorithm in South Africa. South African Medical Journal, 111(9), 857-861.

Sène, P. Y., Diop-Ndiaye, H., Ndoye, A. S., Kiernan, B., Coulibaly, K., Ndiaye, O., Diallo, S., Ndiaye, A. J. S., Fall, M., Ba, A. A., Camara, M., Boye, C. S. B., Ngom, N. F., Lejeune, C., Ndour, C. T., & Kane, C. T. (2022). Performance of Xpert HIV-1 viral load test in Senegal: A country of high circulation of CRF02_AG. The Pan African Medical Journal, 42, 136. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2022.42.136.32041

To “end AIDS by 2030”, General Assembly adopts political declaration with provisions contested by some states | UN Press. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2023, from https://press.un.org/fr/2021/ag12333.doc.htm

To “end AIDS by 2030”, General Assembly adopts political declaration with provisions contested by some states | UN Press. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2023, from https://press.un.org/fr/2021/ag12333.doc.htm

World Health Organization. (2020). Molecular diagnostic tests for HIV infection intended to improve access to viral load measurement and infant HIV diagnosis. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/331805

World Health Organization. (2020). Molecular diagnostic tests for HIV infection intended to improve access to viral load measurement and infant HIV diagnosis. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/331805

How to cite this article

Ndiaye, M., Soumboudou, M., Ndiaye, S. F., & Pouye, N. (2025). Detection of HIV-1 RNA by RT-qPCR using GeneXpert technology. Microbial Science Archives, 5(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.47587/MSA.2025.5101

Licence                  Article Metadata

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

View Details