Quantitation of HIV-1 DNA with a sensitive TaqMan assay that has broad subtype specificity

► A quantitative TaqMan® assay was developed to measure HIV-1 proviral DNA. ► The assay has broad specificity as it can detect many HIV-1 subtypes. ► The assay is very sensitive as it detects reliably 2 × 101 to 2 × 107 HIV-1 DNA copies in the presence of background chromosomal DNA. ► With different primers sets and a single probe the assay can discriminate between linear and circular HIV-1 DNA forms.