Patterns of HIV-1 Drug-Resistance Mutations among Patients Failing First-Line Antiretroviral Treatment in South India.

Background: Although highly active antiretroviral therapy has improved the quality of life among HIV-infected people in India, the emergence of drug resistance along with the limited access and affordability to routine monitoring continues to be a challenge worldwide.

Methods: The frequency and patterns of HIV-1 drug-resistance mutations among the first-line failing HIV-infected patients attending a hospital in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India, were genotypically analyzed using the online Stanford HIV Database.

Results: Of the study patients followed up for 6 months, 23 patients failed first-line therapy and the mutation of I135R/T/V/X, L178 I/M, M184V/I, D67N, K70R, and K103N was most common.

Prediction of drug-resistance using genotypic and docking analysis among anti-retroviral therapy naïve and first-line treatment failures in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India.

The emergence of drug resistance among HIV-positive patients undergoing Anti- Retroviral Therapy (ART) with poor adherence to the HAART is a major concern in India. As the HIV accumulates the key mutations, the drug resistance occurs, that pose challenges to the ART regimens currently being used. Thus, the present study was carried out among the ART- naïve patients attending ART Centre at Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India.