CENTRE FOR AIDS AND RELATED DISEASES (CA&RD)

Officers in the Division:

Laboratories/ Units under division -                                                  

1. Integrated Counseling and Testing Centre
2. National Reference Laboratory for HIV    
3. Immunology Laboratory
4. STI and Opportunistic Infections Laboratory                
5. HIV Serology Laboratory
6. Molecular Virology Laboratory
7. Blood Collection Centre

Activities undertaken in the division –

1. Integrated Counseling and Testing Centre

• The client is counseled and tested for HIV, on his/her own free will or as advised by a treating doctor.
• The main functions include:
  • Early detection of HIV infection
  • Provision of basic information on modes of transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS, STI and TB
  • Promoting behavioral change and reducing vulnerability
  • Link people with other HIV prevention, care and treatment services
  • Biannual participation in External Quality Assessment Programme (EQAS) for HIV serology conducted by the linked SRL
  • Quarterly blinded rechecking of diagnostic HIV testing by the linked SRL (MAMC, Delhi)

2. National Reference Laboratory for HIV

• HIV/ HBV/ HCV Diagnostic Kits evaluation
  • A consortium of National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) comprising of NCDC, Delhi; NARI, Pune; NICED, Kolkata and NIMHANS, Bangalore has been formed
  • As part of the consortium activity, the center evaluates diagnostic kits (HIV/HBV/HCV), which are referred by NACO or by the procurement agency hired by NACO
  • Diagnostic kits submitted for evaluation is tested with a panel comprising of 500 well characterized members (100 positive and 400 negative samples)
  • Performance of the kit is evaluated by calculating various test indices
    • Sensitivity
    • Specificity
  • Characterization of panel for kit evaluation
    • Regular collection of blood/ plasma bags from various DCGI approved blood banks of Delhi
    • Characterized for developing panel for HIV/HBV/HCV kit evaluation
  • Conduction of External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) for State Reference Laboratories and their linked Integrated Counseling & Testing Centers
    • 13 State Reference Laboratories (SRLs) in the four states viz. Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir and their associated ICTCs are linked with the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) at NCDC
    • EQAS for HIV serology programme is conducted twice a year for all the 13 SRLs and their associated ICTCs
    • A proficiency testing (PT) panel comprising of 08 members for each of the SRLs and a bulk PT panel comprising of 04 members for ICTCs is sent after getting validated from NARI, Pune
    • Report of testing conducted on panel by SRLs is compiled and feedback is given to the respective SRLs with a copy to NACO & NARI, Pune
  • Confirmation of HIV serostatus of all samples with indeterminate / discordant results referred from SRLs
  • Participation in EQAS for HIV serology conducted by the National AIDS Research Institute (NARI), Pune.

3. Immunology Laboratory

• Absolute CD4-T Lymphocyte count and CD4% estimation in HIV positive patients
  • Laboratory is linked with the Anti-retroviral (ART) centre of DCBH Hospital, DDU Hospital and other linked PPTCT centres of Delhi
  • Absolute CD4-T Lymphocyte count and CD4% estimation is performed on HIV positive samples received from linked centre by flowcytometry using  FACS Count machine
• Participation  in  External Quality Assessment Programme (EQAS)  for  CD4/CD4%   T-Lymphocyte count conducted by National AIDS Research Institute (NARI), Pune

4. STI and Opportunistic Infections Laboratory

• Diagnosis of syphilis [Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) test and Treponema Pallidum Haemagglutination Assay (TPHA)] is carried out for all the samples of ICTC clients with STI symptoms, routine screening of pregnant ladies and referrals from various hospitals of Delhi.
• Participation in EQAS conducted by VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital for both RPR and TPHA

5. HIV Serology Laboratory

• Designated as referral laboratory for HIV-2 confirmation for patients referred from ART centres of 7 North Indian states of Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
• Quality control testing of serum samples received under HIV Sentinel Surveillance (HSS-ANC round) from various sentinel sites in North India
• HIV testing on Dried Blood Spot (DBS) samples under Integrated Biological & Behavioural Surveillance (IBBS) and High Risk Group-HIV Sentinel Surveillance (HRG-HSS)
• Twenty-eight high risk group (HRG) sentinel sites spread across four states namely Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Rajasthan & Delhi have been linked to this centre
• HIV testing of DBS samples as one of the identified laboratories under National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4)

6. Capacity building activities

• Conducting EQAS Workshops for SRL staffs; Technical officers, Lab technician and Quality Managers of State AIDS Control Society (SACS)
• Mentoring SRLs for achieving NABL accreditation
• Support to training courses run at NCDC
• The center periodically conducts IEC activities for HIV/AIDS awareness
• Technical support to National AIDS Control Programme

Significant Achievement

• The Centre has achieved NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accreditation in the field of medical testing as per ISO 15189:2012
• The National Reference Laboratory at this Centre has been identified as one of the four laboratories to be entrusted with the task of HIV/HBV/HCV kit evaluation by National AIDS Control Organization
• The Centre was awarded the certificate of achievement for outstanding performance in Quality Assurance in HIV testing and achieving international standards as per ISO 15189 by NACO
• The Centre is giving 100% concordant results in various External Quality Assessment Schemes (EQAS) for past many years
• The Centre was awarded the certificate of achievement for outstanding performance as a Training Institute by Delhi State AIDS Control Society (DSACS) on 1st November, 2008, on the Occasion of the 11th Foundation Day of DSACS

Current Research Projects

• Study of the molecular determinants of mother-to-infant transmission of Human
  Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 under DHR