[Genotypic drug-resistance of HIV-1 CRF01_AE in Zhejiang province, 2004-2007].

Objective: To study the genotypic drug-resistant mutation among treat-naïve or treated patients infected with HIV-1 CRF01_AE in Zhejiang province during 2004-2007.

Methods: HIV-1 pol amplicons (PR + RT) from 13 treated and 43 treat-naïve patients were obtained by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The sequences were analyzed for genotypic antiretroviral resistance through online tools (http://hivdb.stanford.edu).

Results: The median count of CD4+ T lymphocytes in 43 treat-naïve patients was 229 cells /mm3 and the median log10 viral load was 3.41. Some drug-resistant mutations were seen in these samples including amino acid 10, 46, 71, in the genes ofprotease (PR) and 103, 118, in the genes of reverse transcriptase (RT) whereas twenty-nine resistance mutations in the genes of PR and RT were obtained in the 13 treated patients (8/13, 61.5%). The high prevalence of drug-resistant mutations was observed in patients who had been receiving HAART (hight active antiretroviral therapy). Among them, cross drug resistance was dominant. Correspondingly, the median counts of CD4+ T lymphocytes and the log10 viral load were 186 cells/mm3 and 3.91.

Conclusion: There was a low prevalence of genotypic drug-resistant mutations in treat-naïve patients, but higher drug-resistant mutation in treated patients. More attention should be paid to the transmission of drug-resistant HIV strains and the antiretroviral therapy recipe should be adjusted correspondingly for the development of ART drugs, intervention as well as clinical therapy programs.