Use of Dried Blood Spot to Improve the Diagnosis and Management of HIV in Resource-Limited Settings

Abstract

Over 75% of people infected with HIV live in countries where health resources are very limited for the diagnosis and biological monitoring of people infected by the virus. In resource-limited settings, the use of DBS is a valuable alternative. It has provided technical and economical alternative to the collection of blood in the tubes for testing HIV infection. The DBS can be kept for over a year, it is economical in storage space and facilitates storage conditions because it can be stored at room temperature. It is more discreet and easier to carry over liquid samples that require tubes and other appropriate materials. The amount is sufficient for certain analyses of DNA generally, but may be insufficient for the analysis of viral RNA if the viral load is low. Its disadvantage is often associated with small amounts of blood collected available for testing, and the difficulties encountered in laboratories to extract the maximum possibilities without material contamination. DBS can be stored at room temperature (25℃ - 35℃), at 4℃, -20℃ or even -70℃. With PCR, the DBS is a suitable medium for the diagnosis of patients infected with HIV, virological monitoring by the VL and even analyzing viral genotype. It is a handy stand for the collection, transport and analyses of biological monitoring of HIV infection. It is indeed very suitable for environments with limited accessibility where it is difficult for specialized laboratories to monitor these patients. The DBS is suitable for resource-limited settings.