HIV Type 1 Drug Resistance among Naive Patients from Venezuela

Abstract

In this study, we characterize proviral DNA of 20 HIV-1 asymptomatic antiretroviral-naive patients from Venezuela in env, gag, and pol genes regions. Results from both env/gag HMA subtyping and phylogenetic analysis of pol partial sequences led to the description of clade B in all cases. Nevertheless, the high prevalence of polymorphisms was particularly evident among the protease sequences. A 10% prevalence of major resistance mutations to RTIs was found. Our data also suggested that the protease polymorphisms I62T and V77T could be considered as molecular markers of the subtype B local epidemic. In addition, we show how proviral DNA can be used as a reliable tool to follow trends of resistance mutation transmission.

Surveillance of HIV Type 1 Drug Resistance among Naive Patients from Venezuela

“…When we studied the RT and Prot sequences, we observed polymorphic substitutions particularly in the Prot region as already reported 6,7 . Four isolates (all of B subtype) exhibited drug resistance mutations : 2 to NNRTIs, one to NRTIs and one to PIs .…”

“…Previous reports of the molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 in Venezuela have shown a predominant prevalence of clade B and isolated reports of subtype C, B/C recombinant and two CRF12_BF. [3][4][5][6][7] HAART regimens have been adopted by the AIDS National Program in Venezuela since 1999. By the end of 2005, an approximate number of 15 000 patients were receiving HAART in Venezuela, which represented 84% of adults in need of therapy according to the program guidelines.…”

“…8 The available HIV drug resistance reports from the country show that a 3-fold increase of resistant viruses to RTIs, representing now 10% of the clinical samples, has been observed between 2001 and 2007. 3,7 Certainly this increase implies a significative rate of HIV drug resistance transmission . The present study aimed at monitoring the prevalence of genotypic drug resistance in a sample of asymptomatic untreated patients recruited at an outpatient network in Caracas according to the WHO survey threshold method recommendations.…”

Prevalence of antiretroviral drug resistance among treatment-naive and treated HIV-infected patients in Venezuela

“…Mutations conferring resistance to at least one ARV drug were found in seven patients (11%), some of them as quasispecies. In a previous report based on a smaller number of naïve patients from Venezuela (Bouchard et al 2007), the prevalence of mutations conferring drug resistance (2/20, 10%) was found to be very similar to that observed in the current study (11%). The prevalence of drug resistance mutations among viruses infecting naïve Venezuelan patients was higher than those reported in Argentina and Mexico (4.2% and 2.5%, respectively) (Dilernia et al 2007, Viani et al 2007).…”

Surveillance of HIV Transmitted Drug Resistance in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…In Venezuela, older studies performed mainly in Caracas, reported low-level or borderline moderate overall TDR: 3.2% (n = 31, 1999) [ 52 ]; 5.0% (n = 20, 2003) [ 53 ], all NRTI TDR cases. More recent studies showed an increase to moderate TDR levels: 11.0% (n = 63, 2004–2007) [ 54 ]; 6.5% (n = 62, 2008) [ 40 ].…”