Profile of drug resistance mutations among HIV-1-infected Tunisian subjects failing antiretroviral therapy

• Published in: Archives of virology Vol. 153; no. 6; pp. 1103 - 1108
• Main Authors: Jlizi, A, Ben Ammar El Gaaied, A, Slim, A, Tebourski, F, Ben Mamou, M, Ben Chaabane, T, Letaief-Omezzine, A, Chakroun, M, Garbouj, M, Ben Rejeb, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Vienna : Springer Vienna 01.06.2008; Springer Vienna; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Anti-HIV Agents - pharmacology; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; codons; drug effects; Drug resistance; Drug Resistance, Viral; Drug Resistance, Viral - genetics; Drug therapy; epidemiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genetics; HIV; HIV Infections; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - prevention & control; HIV Infections - virology; HIV Protease; HIV Protease - genetics; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV Protease Inhibitors - pharmacology; HIV Protease Inhibitors - therapeutic use; HIV Reverse Transcriptase; HIV Reverse Transcriptase - genetics; HIV-1; HIV-1 - drug effects; HIV-1 - genetics; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunology; Infections; Infectious Diseases; Male; Medical Microbiology; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Mutation; Original Article; patients; pharmacology; Plasma; Polymerase chain reaction; prevention & control; proteinase inhibitors; Retrospective Studies; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; RNA-directed DNA polymerase; therapeutic use; therapeutics; Treatment Failure; Tunisia; Tunisia - epidemiology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Virology; Tunisia; North Africa; United States > US; Germany; Resistance Mutation; Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection; Protease Gene; Human Immunodeficiency Virus; Drug Resistance Mutation; Infection; Resistance; Immunopathology; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Viral disease; Antiviral; AIDS; Mutation; Immune deficiency
• ISSN: 0304-8608; 1432-8798
• DOI: 10.1007/s00705-008-0104-z

Three years after the introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Tunisia (North Africa), we aimed to determine the prevalence of drug resistance mutations in Tunisian HIV-1-infected patients failing ART. Plasma samples of 80 patients were tested for genotypic resistance using two distinct line probe assays, LiPA HIV-1 reverse transcriptase RT and LiPA HIV-1 protease assay. Of the 80 patients, 82.5% showed resistance to at least one antiretroviral molecule. In the RT gene, resistance to nucleoside RT inhibitors (NRTIs) and non-nucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs) were recognized in 66.25 and 37.5%, respectively, with M184V, T215Y and K103N being the codons most frequently involved. Resistance to protease inhibitors (PIs) was found in 46.25% of cases. Despite the presence of different mutations, the viral variants were still susceptible to other RTIs and PIs that are currently not available in Tunisia. Thus, alternative therapeutic options exist but are not yet accessible.