Human immunodeficiency virus-1 subtypes and antiretroviral drug resistance profiles among drug-naïve Brazilian blood donors.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) genetic variability and its implication on the development of new reagents were investigated by correlating time of infection and resistance to antiretroviral drugs.

Study Design And Methods: Seventy-four plasma samples from Brazilian drug-naïve blood donors were assayed to further develop a panel of biologic reagents to be used in serology and molecular tests. After viral RNA extraction, cDNA was generated and used in nested polymerase chain reaction protocols with primers for the ENV (C2-V3 and gp41), protease (PR), and reverse transcriptase (RT) of HIV-1.