The performance of low HIV viral load values for the diagnosis of acute HIV infection in the Beijing PRIMO cohort
Lowering the VL threshold to 1,000 copies/mL can reduce missed diagnoses; however, VL < 1,000 copies/mL during AHI may still delay diagnosis under the WB-based system. Nucleic acid testing (NAT) should be prioritized for individuals with high-risk profiles and negative or indeterminate antibodies to shorten the diagnostic window and enable earlier ART initiation. These findings provide real-world evidence supporting recent guideline changes and underscore the diagnostic challenges posed by low VL. The study also supports broader NAT adoption to enhance early detection and reduce AHI underdiagnosis.
Authors
- Xizhao An
- Hao Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1070-0292)
- Defu Yuan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5669-5232)
- Bin Su (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0711-441X)
- Li Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3402-142X)
- Tong Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2046-4502)
- Lifeng Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7207-4602)
- Fei Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7792-5607)
- Xiaoxue Tian
- Bei Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2567-4178)
Institutions
- Capital Medical University (CN)
- National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases (CN)
- Beijing YouAn Hospital (CN)
- Southeast University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Infectious Diseases
- Published
- 2025-10-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-11698-5
- Primary Topic
- HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China