Multisite Evaluation of a Point-of-Care Instrument for CD4+ T-Cell Enumeration Using Venous and Finger-Prick Blood

• DOI: 10.1097/qai.0b013e318235b378
• Publication Date: 2011-10-04T19:46:03Z
• Authors: Papa Alassane Diaw; Géraldine Daneau; Abdoul Aziz Coly; Birahim Pierre Nd...; Djibril Wade; Makhtar Camara; Souleymane Mboup; Luc Kestens; Tandakha Ndiaye D...
• Keywords: Enumeration; Point of care; Venous blood

Background CD4+ T-cell enumeration (CD4 count) is used as a criterion to initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV patients and monitor treatment efficacy. However, simple, affordable, reliable point-of-care (POC) instruments adapted resource-limited settings are still lacking. The PIMA CD4 analyzer new POC instrument for counting that uses disposable cartridges battery-powered analyzer. Methods Whole blood samples were taken by venipuncture or finger prick from 300 subjects, including HIV-infected (-) controls. counts measured (using venous capillary blood) FACSCount considered the reference. Results Similar obtained using either HIV+ finger-prick samples. with concordance coefficient of 0.88 Pearson correlation 0.89, performed not good (0.97 0.98, respectively). For clinical decision start ART at 200 cells per microliter, sensitivity was 90%/91% specificity 98%/96% venous/finger-prick blood, respectively, threshold 350 98%/91% 79%/80% respectively. Repeatability (precision) on resulted variation 4%. Using average error frequency resulting aborted analyses 14%. Conclusions screening adult eligibility. Its performance blood. Adequate training correct use mandatory.