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. 2021 Mar;25(3):661-666.
doi: 10.1007/s10461-020-03030-w.

Longitudinal Viral Load Monitoring Using Home-Collected Dried Blood Spot Specimens of MSM Living with HIV: Results from a Feasibility Pilot Study

Richard A Teran  1 , Magdalena E Sobieszczyk  2 , Mary Ann Chiasson  3   2 , Anne-Catrin Uhlemann  2   4 , Jessica Weidler  2 , Jayesh G Shah  2 , Jennifer Y Chang  2 , Caitlin Otto  5 , Sabina Hirshfield  6
Affiliations

Longitudinal Viral Load Monitoring Using Home-Collected Dried Blood Spot Specimens of MSM Living with HIV: Results from a Feasibility Pilot Study

Richard A Teran et al. AIDS Behav. 2021 Mar.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Novel viral load monitoring strategies are needed to help individuals maintain an undetectable viral load (UVL). In 2018, U.S. MSM living with HIV with a past detectable VL received a dried blood spot (DBS) kit at baseline and 3-month follow-up and returned specimens to a research laboratory. Of 56 consenting participants, 91% returned specimens at baseline and 77% at 3-month follow-up; 74% who returned two specimens had UVL at both time points. At-home DBS collection and longitudinal VL monitoring is feasible among U.S. MSM with fluctuating viral load. This complementary approach to clinical care could improve viral suppression maintenance.

Se necesitan nuevas estrategias para evaluar los niveles de la carga viral para ayudar a las personas viviendo con VIH a mantener una carga viral indetectable (CVI). En 2018, hombres viviendo con VIH, que reportaron sexo con hombres y una carga viral detectable, recibieron dos paquetes de materiales para colectar muestras de sangre seca después de completar una evaluación basal y después de tres meses de seguimiento. Participantes devolvieron las muestras de sangre seca a un laboratorio. De 56 participantes que dieron su consentimiento a participar en el estudio, el 91% devolvió una muestra de sangre seca al inicio del estudio y el 77% a los 3 meses de seguimiento. Además, el 74% que devolvió dos muestras de sangre seca tenían CVI en ambos puntos de tiempo. La colección de sangre seca en el hogar y el monitoreo longitudinal de la carga viral de VIH es factible entre los hombres viviendo con el VIH y que tienen sexo con hombres. Los resultados de este estudio pueden proporcionar un enfoque complementario a la atención clínica para mejorar la supresión viral del VIH.

Keywords: Dried blood spots; Feasibility study; HIV; Viral load; Viral load monitoring.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Dried Blood Spot specimen viral load results among M-Spot 2 participants (N = 51)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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