Virologic therapy response significantly correlates with the number of active drugs as evaluated using a LiPA HIV-1 resistance scoring system.

Background: Resistance testing is increasingly accepted as a tool in guiding the selection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1 infected individuals who fail their current regimen.

Objectives: To descriptively compare the correlation between virologic treatment response and results using three genotypic HIV-1 drug resistance interpretation systems: the VERSANT HIV-1 Resistance Assay (LiPA) system and two sequence-based interpretation systems.

Study Design: Specimens from 213 HIV-1-infected subjects, either starting (n=104) or switching to (n=109) a regimen of three or four antiretroviral drugs, were collected retrospectively at baseline and after 3 months of uninterrupted therapy.