Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 Drug Resistance Mutations in Patients Failing Antiretroviral Therapy in Lebanon from 2009 to 2013

Abstract

Background: Antiretroviral drug resistance remains a significant problem in the clinical management of patients infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus type-1. Aim: This study investigates and reports data on the molecular characterization of HIV-1 isolates from patients who are in a state of therapy failure. Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted on 65 patients in therapy failure. Inclusion criteria included patients diagnosed as being in therapy failure between the years 2009 and 2013. We defined ART failure as either a failure to achieve viral suppression or a failure to detect viral loads below 500 copies/mL after virological suppression in at least two plasma samples.  We used the published WHO list for surveillance of transmitted resistance and the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database to identify drug resistance mutations. Results: 65% of the participants had at least one drug resistance mutation (DRM). 12% of the population sampled had resistance to only one ART class, 32% presented with resistance to two classes of antiretroviral drugs, and 20% had resistance to all three classes of drugs. The prevalence of nucleoside transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) mutations was 55%, the most common DRM being M184V. The prevalence of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) mutations was 58%, with the most common mutation being the K103N mutation. The prevalence of protease inhibitors drug resistance mutations was 23%, with mutations V82A and I47V being present in 10% of the study population. Conclusion: Our study is the first molecular characterization of DRM emergence in HIV-1 strains from patients failing antiretroviral therapy in Lebanon. Continuous monitoring of resistance patterns for HIV in the country is necessary to tackle the emergent drug resistance.