DETECTION OF GENETICALLY DIVERSE HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 GROUP-M AND GROUP-O ISOLATES BY PCR

A panel of 136 genetically diverse group M and 5 group O adult isolate s from outside the United States and Europe were evaluated by PCR with the Roche AMPLICOR HIV-1 test, a modified version of the AMPLICOR HIV -1 test, and a new primer pair/probe system. Detection of some of thes e isolates was less efficient with the AMPLICOR HIV-1 test; however, t he assay was significantly improved by reducing the sample input and l owering the annealing temperature. The new primer pair/probe set detec ted 140 of 141 isolates, including the 5 group O isolates that were no t detected with either of the AMPLICOR HIV-1 test formats.