A secondary data analysis of qualitative study of individualized treatment regimen for North Indians living with human immunodeficiency virus-1

Abstract

Background A correlation between the CD4 counts and viral loads of HIV-1 infected North Indian patients with first line ART was reported. The follow up of fifty-seven patients were conducted after a confirmation genotypic test. The secondary data analysis was done on the data available to observe the correlation between the CD4 counts and viral loads (markers of clinical outcome) of HIV-1 Subtype C infected North Indian patients. Methods After analysis of the drug resistance mutations in individual patients through the drug resistance database, Stanford University, the data of resistance associated drugs, CD4 counts, viral load of individuals were compiled and analysed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and SPSS Version 22. Normality of data was checked by Shapiro-Wilk test (p < 0.05). Results Starting and study end point data on CD4 count, viral load and drug resistance pattern associated with multiple first line ART was available for 24 North Indian patients. Starting and study end point data on CD4 count and drug resistance pattern associated with multiple first line ART was available for 33 North Indian patients. Conclusion Our findings are categorically indicative that policy recommendation to provide tailor-made individualized regimen based on molecular drug resistance testing to HIV patients under AIDS control program requires robust evidence before implementation.