CD4(+) T cell enumeration in HIV infection with limited resources

The incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continues to increase in South Africa. Limited resources are available for diagnosis and management of the disease and the development of affordable strategies is required. Absolute CD4 counts are used locally predominantly to monitor dis ease progression and institute prophylaxis against opportunistic infections , A dramatic increase in demand for CD4 counts prompted an investigation fo r a more cost-effective flow cytometry method than those currently recommen ded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). CD4 counts generated by two d ifferent single tube methods using CD3/CD4/CD8 [1(3)] and CD4 [1(1)] antibo dies, respectively, were compared to the CDC recommended 6 tube 2 colour pa nel [6(2)]. Whole blood analysis using the Coulter Multi-Q-Prep system and an Epics XL Flow Cytometer (Coulter, Hialeah, FL) was performed for each of the three methods. Random samples from HIV positive adult patients were co mpared. A mean difference in the absolute CD4 counts of less than 10 x 10(6 )/1 was generated by both of the alternative panels when compared with the 6(2) panel. The precision of the three methods is comparable. In reagents a lone, the 1(3) and 1(1) methods represent a cost saving of 76% and 93%, res pectively, over the 6(2) method. The 1(3) and 1(1) panels would permit more affordable CD4 counts to be determined by the gold standard methodology of flow cytometry with no clinically significant sacrifices in accuracy or pr ecision. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.