P24 Antigen Quantification of Indonesian Patients Infected with HIV‑1 CRF01_AE

Introduction: HIV pandemic remains a global health problem. In Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, CRF01_AE dominates the pandemic. WHO recommended viral load test to monitor patient’s response to ART. However, the application of viral load assays are difficult in resource‑limited settings. Several researches suggesting the use of p24 antigen assay as an alternative to viral load test, since the p24 antigen concentration was shown to exhibit linearity towards viral load. Objective: This research aimed to quantify p24 antigen concentration in HIV‑positive patients living in Bali Province, Indonesia. Materials and Method: Fifty plasma samples collected from HIV‑positive patients infected with CRF01_ AE were subjected to standard, non‑modified ELISA to quantify p24 antigen concentration. Results: Detectable p24 antigen concentration was found in 11 samples (22%). Unlike viral load, no correlation found between p24 antigen concentration with ART status and length of therapy (p>0.05). Conclusion: The result suggested that p24 antigen quantification might not always reflect viral load, especially in patients infected with CRF01_AE. Employment of standard ELISA without any modification might be having lower sensitivity in quantifying p24 antigen concentration in HIV‑positive patients, either ART naive or treated patients.