HIV Viral Load Real Time PCR

Your doctor will help interpret the test results for you.

1. HIV viral load is expressed as copies/ml. For conversion to WHO International Units (IU): 1 IU corresponds to approximately 0.6 copy/ml. The lower limit of detection of this test is 40 copies/ml. Viral load below 10,000 copies/ml is generally considered "low".
2. An increase or decrease in viral load of more than three-fold may be considered significant. Viral loads can vary considerably. Laboratory variations, acute illness, or recent vaccinations can lead to elevations or variability in viral loads. However, variation of less than 0.5 log copies/ml should not be considered as significant.
3. Values below 40 copies/ml does not exclude possibility of an infection. It may reflect a viral load below the detection limit of the assay.
4. Follow up viral load values below the detectable limit may indicate resolution of the infection after therapy. Reappearance or increasing viral load may indicate relapse or resistance to the therapy.
5. HIV viral load values are known to be affected due to other clinical conditions, such as, acute illness or recent vaccination. Hence, viral load should be interpreted in conjunction with the clinical history, clinical status and other diagnostic parameters.

Not detected

The HIV Viral Load test is used for:

• Diagnosis of HIV infection
• To estimate how rapidly the disease is progressing
• Monitoring those on ART (antiretroviral therapy) for HIV Infection
• The most advanced form of the HIV infection is called as AIDS – acquired immunodeficiency virus. Diagnosis an HIV infection at the early stage and beginning the management of the condition can help in the infection progressing to the AIDS stage.
• The goal of the antiretroviral therapy is to suppress the viral load to an extent that it is too low to be detected on a viral load test. Therefore those individuals who are on ART are frequently ordered this test to ensure that the viral load is below undetectable levels.

The HIV Viral Load test is also used in infants born to parent with an infection. If the parents has undetectable HIV Viral Load, the infant is considered low risk. However if the parent’s viral load is not suppressed, the infant is considered high risk. Regular monitoring is done in both high and low risk infants.

• The HIV viral load test is used as a screening test as well as a confirmatory diagnostic test and as a HIV monitoring test
• The HIV Viral Load test is a reliable test to screen high-risk individuals
• The test can help confirm an infection as early as from 10 ten days of exposure
• The test is used to determine the viral load and hence can indicate how well the HIV treatment is working in a patient confirmed with HIV Diagnosis
• The test can help adjust medications
• Those who have been diagnosed with HIV and are on ART (Anti-retroviral therapy, the test is ordered regularly to monitor HIV and if the disease is progressing
• The test is ordered

The HIV Viral Load test helps estimate the amount of virus in the body – that is the viral load. If the viral load is higher, it supresses the immune system of the body.

Other names: HIV Viral Load Test 

The HIV Viral Load test is a form of NAAT test, Nucleic Acid Amplification test. The genetic material of the HIV virus is called as RNA. The test basically measures the amount of this genetic material (RNA) in the body.