Resistance profile and treatment outcomes in HIV-infected children at virological failure in Benin, West Africa.

Background: In Africa a high percentage of HIV-infected children continue to experience HIV treatment failure despite enormous progress. In Benin (West Africa), there are currently no data on HIV drug resistance at failure in paediatric populations. Objectives: To assess the frequency and patterns of HIV drug resistance among children with virological ART failures. Methods: Dried blood spots from 62 HIV-infected children with virological failure were collected at the paediatric clinic of the National Hospital Center in Cotonou for genotyping and plasma drug concentration determination. Results: Characteristics of the population show a median age of 10 years (IQR 6-13) and a median duration on ART of 5 years (IQR 3-7). Viruses from 53 children were successfully amplified. Of these, 76% of patients were on an NNRTI-based regimen and 24% on a boosted PI-based regimen. NRTI, NNRTI and dual-class resistance was present in 71%, 84% and 65% of cases, respectively. Only 4% of the children had major resistance mutations to PIs and none had major resistance mutations to integrase inhibitors. Among the participants, 25% had undetectable antiretroviral concentrations. Conclusions: Our results showed that the development of drug resistance could be one of the main consequences of high and continuous viral replication in HIV-infected children in Benin. Thus, inadequate attention to monitoring lifelong ART in children may prevent achievement of the goal of the United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) of 90% viral suppression among patients receiving ART.

Prevalence and clinical impact of minority resistant variants in patients failing an integrase inhibitor-based regimen by ultra-deep sequencing.

Background: Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are recommended by international guidelines as first-line therapy in antiretroviral-naive and -experienced HIV-1-infected patients. Objectives: This study aimed at evaluating the prevalence at failure of INSTI-resistant variants and the impact of baseline minority resistant variants (MiRVs) on the virological response to an INSTI-based regimen. Methods: Samples at failure of 134 patients failing a raltegravir-containing (n = 65), an elvitegravir-containing (n = 20) or a dolutegravir-containing (n = 49) regimen were sequenced by Sanger sequencing and ultra-deep sequencing (UDS). Baseline samples of patients with virological failure (VF) (n = 34) and of those with virological success (VS) (n = 31) under INSTI treatment were sequenced by UDS. Data were analysed using the SmartGene platform, and resistance was interpreted according to the ANRS algorithm version 27. Results: At failure, the prevalence of at least one INSTI-resistant variant was 39.6% by Sanger sequencing and 57.5% by UDS, changing the interpretation of resistance in 17/134 (13%) patients. Among 53 patients harbouring at least one resistance mutation detected by both techniques, the most dominant INSTI resistance mutations were N155H (45%), Q148H/K/R (23%), T97A (19%) and Y143C (11%). There was no difference in prevalence of baseline MiRVs between patients with VF and those with VS. MiRVs found at baseline in patients with VF were not detected at failure either in majority or minority mutations. Conclusions: UDS is more sensitive than Sanger sequencing at detecting INSTI MiRVs at treatment failure. The presence of MiRVs at failure could be important to the decision to switch to other INSTIs. However, there was no association between the presence of baseline MiRVs and the response to INSTI-based therapies in our study.

Emerging resistance mutations in PI-naive patients failing an atazanavir-based regimen (ANRS multicentre observational study).

Background: Atazanavir is a PI widely used as a third agent in combination ART. We aimed to determine the prevalence and the patterns of resistance in PI-naive patients failing on an atazanavir-based regimen. Methods: We analysed patients failing on an atazanavir-containing regimen used as a first line of PI therapy. We compared the sequences of reverse transcriptase and protease before the introduction of atazanavir and at failure [two consecutive viral loads (VLs) >50 copies/mL]. Resistance was defined according to the 2014 Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le SIDA et les Hépatites Virales (ANRS) algorithm. Results: Among the 113 patients, atazanavir was used in the first regimen in 71 (62.8%) patients and in the first line of a PI-based regimen in 42 (37.2%). Atazanavir was boosted with ritonavir in 95 (84.1%) patients and combined with tenofovir/emtricitabine or lamivudine (n = 81) and abacavir/lamivudine or emtricitabine (n = 22). At failure, median VL was 3.05 log10 copies/mL and the median CD4+ T cell count was 436 cells/mm3. The median time on atazanavir was 21.2 months. At failure, viruses were considered resistant to atazanavir in four patients (3.5%) with the selection of the following major atazanavir-associated mutations: I50L (n = 1), I84V (n = 2) and N88S (n = 1). Other emergent PI mutations were L10V, G16E, K20I/R, L33F, M36I/L, M46I/L, G48V, F53L, I54L, D60E, I62V, A71T/V, V82I/T, L90M and I93L/M. Emergent NRTI substitutions were detected in 21 patients: M41L (n = 2), D67N (n = 3), K70R (n = 1), L74I/V (n = 3), M184V/I (n = 16), L210W (n = 1), T215Y/F (n = 3) and K219Q/E (n = 2). Conclusions: Resistance to atazanavir is rare in patients failing the first line of an atazanavir-based regimen according to the ANRS. Emergent NRTI resistance-associated mutations were reported in 18% of patients.

Performance of genotypic algorithms for predicting tropism for HIV-1 CRF01_AE recombinant.

OBJECTIVES: There is no consensus about the performances of genotypic rules for predicting HIV-1 non-B subtype tropism. Three genotypic methods were compared for CRF01_AE HIV-1 tropism determination. METHODS: The V3 env region of 207 HIV-1 CRF01_AE and 178 B subtypes from 17 centers in France and 1 center in Switzerland was sequenced. Tropism was determined by Geno2Pheno algorithm with false positive rate (FPR) 5% or 10%, the 11/25 rule or the combined criteria of the 11/25, net charge rule and NXT/S mutations. RESULTS: Overall, 72.5%, 59.4%, 86.0%, 90.8% of the 207 HIV-1 CRF01_AE were R5-tropic viruses determined by Geno2pheno FPR5%, Geno2pheno FPR10%, the combined criteria and the 11/25 rule, respectively. A concordance of 82.6% was observed between Geno2pheno FPR5% and the combined criteria for CRF01_AE. The results were nearly similar for the comparison between Geno2pheno FPR5% and the 11/25 rule. More mismatches were observed when Geno2pheno was used with the FPR10%. Neither HIV viral load, nor current or nadir CD4 was associated with the discordance rate between the different algorithms. CONCLUSION: Geno2pheno predicted more X4-tropic viruses for this set of CRF01_AE sequences than the combined criteria or the 11/25 rule alone. For a conservative approach, Geno2pheno FPR5% seems to be a good compromise to predict CRF01_AE tropism.

Prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance in treated patients with viral load >50 copies/mL: a 2014 French nationwide study.

Background: Surveillance of HIV-1 resistance in treated patients with a detectable viral load (VL) is important to monitor, in order to assess the risk of spread of resistant viruses and to determine the proportion of patients who need new antiretroviral drugs with minimal cross-resistance. Methods: The HIV-1 protease and reverse transcriptase (RT) and integrase genes were sequenced in plasma samples from 782 consecutive patients on failing antiretroviral regimens, seen in 37 specialized centres in 2014. The genotyping results were interpreted using the ANRS v24 algorithm. Prevalence rates were compared with those obtained during a similar survey conducted in 2009. Results: The protease and RT sequences were obtained in 566 patients, and the integrase sequence in 382 patients. Sequencing was successful in 60%, 78%, 78% and 87% of patients with VLs of 51-200, 201-500, 501-1000 and >1000 copies/mL, respectively. Resistance to at least one antiretroviral drug was detected in 56.3% of samples. Respectively, 3.9%, 8.7%, 1.5% and 3.4% of patients harboured viruses that were resistant to any NRTI, NNRTI, PI and integrase inhibitor (INI). Resistance rates were lower in 2014 than in 2009. Resistance was detected in 48.5% of samples from patients with a VL between 51 and 200 copies/mL. Conclusion: In France in 2014, 90.0% of patients in AIDS care centres were receiving antiretroviral drugs and 12.0% of them had VLs >50 copies/mL. Therefore, this study suggests that 6.7% of treated patients in France might transmit resistant strains. Resistance testing may be warranted in all treated patients with VL > 50 copies/mL.

Performance of genotypic algorithms for predicting tropism of HIV-1CRF02_AG subtype.

BACKGROUND: Several genotypic rules for predicting HIV-1 non-B subtypes tropism are commonly used, but there is no consensus about their performances. OBJECTIVES: Three genotypic methods were compared for CRF02_AG HIV-1 tropism determination. STUDY DESIGN: V3 env region of 178HIV-1 CRF02_AG from Pitié-Salpêtrière and Saint-Antoine Hospitals was sequenced from plasma HIV-1 RNA. HIV-1 tropism was determined by Geno2Pheno algorithm, false positive rate (FPR) 5% or 10%, the 11/25 rule or the combined criteria of the 11/25 and net charge rule. RESULTS: A concordance of 91.6% was observed between Geno2pheno 5% and the combined criteria. The results were nearly similar for the comparison between Geno2pheno 5% and the 11/25 rule. More mismatches were observed when Geno2pheno was used with the FPR 10%. A lower nadir CD4 cell count was associated with a discordance of tropism prediction between Geno2pheno 5% and the combined criteria or the 11/25 rule (p=0.02 and p=0.03, respectively). A lower HIV-1 viral load was associated with some discordance for the comparison of Geno2pheno 10% and the combined rule (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Geno2pheno FPR 5% or 10% predicted more X4-tropic viruses for this set of CRF02_AG sequences than the combined criteria or the 11/25 rule alone. Furthermore, Geno2pheno FPR 5% was more concordant with the 11/25 rule and the combined rule than Geno2pheno 10% to predict HIV-1 tropism. Overall, Geno2pheno 5% could be used to predict CRF02_AG tropism as well as other genotypic rules.

Rilpivirine, emtricitabine and tenofovir resistance in HIV-1-infected rilpivirine-naive patients failing antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVES: In the context of simplification strategies, it is essential to know the feasibility of a switch to a rilpivirine-based therapy. The aim of this study was to describe rilpivirine, tenofovir and emtricitabine resistance in HIV-1-infected patients who experienced virological failure during their previous antiretroviral treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The studied population included two groups of patients, all rilpivirine naive, tested for resistance by bulk sequencing from 2008 to 2011: the first group (n = 998) failing a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) plus boosted protease inhibitor (PI)-based regimen and the second group (n = 3733) failing an NRTI plus non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based regimen. RESULTS: In the first group, the frequency of rilpivirine mutations and resistance to rilpivirine (5.1%) was similar to that in antiretroviral-naive HIV-1-infected patients. Among the 1605 patients from the second group with at least one NNRTI mutation in their HIV, the prevalence of viruses 'resistant' or 'possibly resistant' to efavirenz, nevirapine and etravirine was 78%, 79% and 74%, respectively, while 59% were resistant to rilpivirine. Resistance to rilpivirine was significantly more frequent in non-B subtype versus B subtype viruses. Among pretreated patients with viruses with at least one NNRTI mutation (other than for rilpivirine), 22% of sequences were susceptible to the combination rilpivirine/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. CONCLUSIONS: In patients failing an NRTI plus NNRTI-based regimen, to know the feasibility of a switch to rilpivirine/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, reliable resistance information should be available at the time of use of concurrent NNRTI therapy.

NRTI-sparing regimens yield higher rates of drug resistance than NRTI-based regimens for HIV-1 treatment.

To treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, international guidelines recommend the combination of two nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors [N(t)RTIs] and a third agent [non-NRTI (NNRTI), boosted protease inhibitor (r/PI) or integrase inhibitor (INI)] for initial treatment. The objective of this study was to compare the selection of resistance to antiretrovirals (ARVs) for regimens containing or lacking N(t)RTIs in patients experiencing their first virological failure. Eligible patients had a first virological failure, defined as the occurrence of two consecutive HIV plasma viral loads ≥50copies/mL. Genotypic resistance testing was performed at the time of virological failure (on the second sample with detectable viral load ≥50copies/mL) in patients failing regimens of N(t)RTIs+r/PI or NNRTI or INI, r/PI+NNRTI or INI, and INI+NNRTI. Among 434 virological failures analysed, resistance testing results were available in 416 cases (95.9%). Higher rates of drug resistance were observed in patients receiving N(t)RTI-sparing regimens. When the combination of N(t)RTIs+r/PI was used, PIs protect themselves and the associated N(t)RTIs from the selection of resistance; however, this was not observed with the NNRTI+r/PI combination. The same phenomenon was observed for raltegravir: when used in combination with N(t)RTIs, INI resistance mutations were less frequently selected compared with its use in combination with PIs or NNRTIs. In conclusion, regimens of the ARV classes combined impact the frequency of resistance development. Lower resistance is observed for N(t)RTI-based regimens, with more therapeutic options for subsequent regimens after failure.

Prevalence of pre-existing resistance-associated mutations to rilpivirine, emtricitabine and tenofovir in antiretroviral-naive patients infected with B and non-B subtype HIV-1 viruses.

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of rilpivirine, emtricitabine and tenofovir resistance-associated mutations (RAMs), described in vitro and in vivo, was determined in antiretroviral-naive patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 2008 to 2011, 1729 treatment-naive patients were tested for resistance by bulk sequencing. We studied the primary rilpivirine RAMs (K101E/P, E138A/G/K/Q/R, V179L, Y181C/I/V, H221Y, F227C and M230I/L) and other potential rilpivirine-associated mutations (V90I, L100I, K101T, E138S, V179D/I, Y188L, V189I, G190A/E/S and M230V). We also studied the M184V/I and K65R mutations for emtricitabine and tenofovir, respectively. RESULTS: Among 1729 sequences, half of patients had B-subtype viruses and the other half non-B (with 26.7% CRF02, n=461). Primary rilpivirine RAMs were infrequent (4.6%, n=79) and the most prevalent were E138A (3%, n=52), E138K, (0.3%, n=5), H221Y (0.3%, n=5), E138G (0.2%, n=4) and Y181C (0.2%, n=4). The frequency of the primary rilpivirine RAMs was similar between B and non-B subtypes. The other potential rilpivirine-associated mutations that were most prevalent were V179I (8.4%, n=145), V90I (3.8%, n=65) and V189I (2.3%, n=40). The common V179I, V189I and V90I polymorphisms have not been associated with virological failure in Phase 3 clinical studies. By the ANRS algorithm, 4.9% (n=84) of samples were resistant to rilpivirine, 3.7% (n=32) of B-subtype viruses versus 6% (n=52) of non-B-subtype viruses (P=0.02, χ(2) test). The prevalence of K65R and M184I/V was 0.06% (1/1729) and 1% (18/1729), respectively. The prevalence of K103N was 2% (35/1729). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of rilpivirine, emtricitabine and tenofovir resistance mutations was very low in antiretroviral-naive patients. The prevalence of resistance to rilpivirine (4.9%, n=84) was not statistically different from the prevalence of efavirenz and nevirapine resistance in our population.

Long-term efficacy of darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy in patients with HIV-1 viral suppression: week 96 results from the MONOI ANRS 136 study.

OBJECTIVES: Long-term results at week 96 are needed to evaluate the capacity of the darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy strategy to maintain a sustained control of the HIV-1 viral load. METHODS: MONOI is a prospective, open-label, non-inferiority, randomized, 96 week trial comparing darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy versus a darunavir/ritonavir triple-therapy strategy to maintain HIV-1 viral load suppression in HIV-1-infected patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00412551. RESULTS: From 225 randomized patients, 219 patients reached the 48 week follow-up and 211 reached the 96 week follow-up (106 patients in the darunavir monotherapy arm and 105 in the darunavir triple-therapy arm). Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the two treatment groups. At week 96, in intent-to-treat analysis, 91/103 patients (88%, 95% CI 81-94) allocated to the darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy arm and 87/104 patients (84%, 95% CI 75-90) allocated to the darunavir triple-therapy arm achieved an HIV-1 viral load <50 copies/mL, with no statistical difference between the two groups. Throughout the 96 week follow-up, 66/112 patients (59%, 95% CI 49-68) and 79/113 patients (70%, 95% CI 61-78) consistently had HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL with darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy and darunavir/ritonavir triple therapy, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The MONOI study establishes darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy as durable and efficacious for maintaining virological suppression in HIV-1 patients. Darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy should be considered as a (tailored) treatment option for standard triple-therapy patients who have had a substantial period of viral suppression.

Clinically validated mutation scores for HIV-1 resistance to fosamprenavir/ritonavir.

BACKGROUND: We developed clinically relevant genotypic scores for resistance to fosamprenavir/ritonavir in HIV-1 protease inhibitor (PI)-experienced patients. METHODS: PI-experienced patients with virological failure receiving fosamprenavir/ritonavir as the sole PI for at least 3 months and with detectable fosamprenavir plasma levels were included. The impact of baseline protease mutations on virological response (VR, i.e. decrease in plasma HIV-1 RNA between baseline and month 3) was analysed using the Mann-Whitney test. Mutations with prevalence >10% and P value <0.10 were retained. The Jonckheere-Terpstra test was used to select the combination of mutations most strongly associated with VR. The association between score and VR was assessed by multivariate backward regression. RESULTS: In the 73 patients included, the median baseline HIV-1 RNA was 4.6 log(10) copies/mL (range: 2.7-6.9) and the mean decrease at month 3 was -1.07 +/- 1.40 log(10) copies/mL. Ninety per cent of the patients were infected by HIV-1 subtype B variants. Two fosamprenavir/ritonavir mutation scores were constructed: score A (L10F/I/V + L33F + M36I + I54L/M/V/A/T/S + I62V + V82A/F/C/G + I84V + L90M) was based only on mutations associated with a worse VR, whereas score B (L10FIV + L33F + M36I + I54L/M/V/A/T/S + A71V - V77I - N88S + L90M) also took into account favourable mutations. Both scores were independent predictors of VR, however, co-administration of tenofovir was associated with a worse VR and the presence of the N88S protease mutation and co-administration of enfuvirtide with a better VR. CONCLUSIONS: These clinically validated mutation scores should be of interest for the clinical management of PI-experienced patients. The fosamprenavir/ritonavir score A was introduced in the 2006 ANRS algorithm along with isolated mutations I50V and V32I + I47V.

National survey of the prevalence and conditions of selection of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase K70E mutation.

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) has become an important component of HIV combination therapy because of its potency and once-daily dosing. Key mutation associated with resistance to TDF is a K65R in the reverse transcriptase (RT) gene. According to occurrence of K70E mutation after failure to TDF regimen, this mutation was recently reported as a mutation associated with TDF resistance in most resistance genotypic algorithms. The aim of this study was to analyze, retrospectively, the prevalence and conditions of selection of HIV-1 RT K70E mutation from a national clinical survey. Absence of selection of K70E in 850 HIV-1-infected naive patients suggests its role in NRTI drug resistance. Prevalence of K70E RT was low (99/41601, 0.24%) in patients treated between 1999 and 2005. Conversely with K65R mutation, thymidine analog mutations (TAMs) can be concomitantly observed with K70E mutation but its frequency decreased as the number of TAM increases. Concomitant association of K65R and K70E was possible but infrequent (11%). At the time of K70E selection, 60% of patients had received or received TDF-containing regimen and one-third received exclusive NRTI regimen. In conclusion, the K70E mutation could be an alternative pathway of TDF resistance, but as the K65R mutation, other NRTI as ABC, ddI, and 3TC could be also associated with the K70E selection.

The long-term benefits of genotypic resistance testing in patients with extensive prior antiretroviral therapy: a model-based approach.

OBJECTIVES: Resistance testing in HIV disease may provide long-term benefits that are not evident from short-term data. Our objectives were to estimate the long-term effectiveness, cost and cost-effectiveness of genotype testing in patients with extensive antiretroviral exposure. METHODS: We used an HIV simulation model to estimate the long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of genotype testing. Clinical data incorporated into the model were from NARVAL, a randomized trial of resistance testing in patients with extensive antiretroviral exposure, and other randomized trials. Each simulated patient was eligible for up to three sequential regimens of antiretroviral therapy (i.e. two additional regimens beyond the trial-based regimen) using drugs not available at the time of the study, such as lopinavir/ritonavir, darunavir/ritonavir and enfuvirtide. RESULTS: In the long term, projected undiscounted life expectancy increased from 132.2 months with clinical judgement alone to 147.9 months with genotype testing. Median survival was estimated at 11.9 years in the resistance testing arm vs 10.4 years in the clinical judgement alone arm. Because of increased survival, the projected lifetime discounted cost of genotype testing was greater than for clinical judgement alone (euro313,900 vs euro263,100; US$399,000 vs US$334,400). Genotype testing cost euro69,600 (US$88,500) per quality-adjusted life year gained compared with clinical judgement alone. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with extensive prior antiretroviral exposure, genotype testing is likely to increase life expectancy in the long term as a result of the increased likelihood of receiving two active new drugs. Genotype testing is associated with cost-effectiveness comparable to that of strategies accepted in patients with advanced HIV disease, such as enfuvirtide use.

[Predictive factors of virologic response to antiretroviral treatment with a protease inhibitor in HIV infection]. / Facteurs prédictifs de réponse virologique à un traitement antirétroviral avec inhibiteur de protéase au cours de l'infection à VIH.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors related to early virological response among a cohort of 224 patients who started a protease inhibitor (PI) for the first time. To determine which factors are associated with persistent response among patients with early response. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Early complete response was defined as an undetectable plasma viral load 2 to 3 months after treatment onset (< 400 copies/ml, Quantiplex HIV 2.0 Chiron diagnostics), incomplete response as at least 1 log reduction of viral load. In patients with an undetectable plasma viral load at 2 or 3 months, we also assessed the persistence of the response on the same regimen. Virology failure was defined by two consecutive viral load levels above the detection limit. RESULTS: In the total cohort, 66% of the patients had an early complete response, 11% a partial response and 23% no response. Complete virological response was significantly more frequent in naive (89%) than in pretreated (59%) patients (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis of factors predictive of early response in pretreated patients (n = 169) showed that viral load (p = 0.001), the number of nucleoside analogs previously received (p = 0.06) and a full or partial treatment switch (p = 0.10) were associated with complete response. Analysis of later response in the 45 naive patients with prolonged follow-up showed that 22% had treatment failure after 3 to 16 months. None of the baseline variables (viral load, CD4+ cell count or nature of the PI) were associated with duration of response. The only factor associated with persistent response in pretreated patients was a low number of antiretroviral drugs previously received (log-rank test, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The absence of previous antiretroviral treatment as the main factor associated with an early complete virological response. In patients pretreated with nucleoside analogs who presented early virological success, the number of drugs previously received, often associated with full or partial switch of nucleoside analog, significantly influence the persistence of response to a given triple-drug regimen.

Plasma human immunodeficiency virus RNA below 40 Copies/mL is rare in untreated persons even in the first years of infection.

To clarify the frequency and prognostic significance of a plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA load below the detection threshold during the natural history of infection, an ultrasensitive assay was used to identify persons with low virus loads in a cohort of 111 untreated subjects with a known date of seroconversion. Six persons had HIV RNA loads <40 viral copies (VC)/mL during the first years of HIV infection. The probability of meeting the criteria for long-term nonprogression was higher in these subjects (P=.043). However, a virus load <40 VC/mL was rare during the natural history of infection, even during the first years of symptomless HIV carriage. Such data confirm the general trend of disease progression in the entire population of HIV carriers.

Carriage of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus RNA is associated with a slower immunologic, virologic, and clinical progression of human immunodeficiency virus disease in coinfected persons.

The prevalence of GB virus C (GBV-C) infection is high in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. However, the long-term consequences of coinfection are unknown. HIV-positive persons with a well-defined duration of infection were screened on the basis of their GBV-C/hepatitis G virus (HGV) RNA status and studied. GBV-C/HGV viremia was observed in 23, who carried the virus over a mean of 7.7 years. All parameters (survival, CDC stage B/C, HIV RNA load, CD4 T cell count) showed significant differences in terms of the cumulative progression rate between persons positive and negative for GBV-C/HGV RNA. When GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive and -unexposed subjects were matched by age, sex, baseline HIV RNA load, and baseline CD4 T cell count, HIV disease progression appeared worse in GBV-C/HGV RNA-negative subjects. The carriage of GBV-C/HGV RNA is associated with a slower progression of HIV disease in coinfected persons.

Prevalence of GB virus type C/hepatitis G virus RNA and of anti-E2 in individuals at high or low risk for blood-borne or sexually transmitted viruses: evidence of sexual and parenteral transmission.

BACKGROUND: The first epidemiologic evidence of GB virus type C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection showed a high prevalence of asymptomatic carriers in blood donors and in populations at risk for blood-borne viruses. However, by using only viral RNA polymerase chain reaction, those studies underestimated the true spread of GBV-C/HGV infection. The combined detection of GBV-C/HGV RNA and of anti-E2 (which reflects recovery from infection) is necessary to define accurately the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The presence of both anti-E2 and GBV-C/HGV RNA was searched for in 1438 serum samples collected from various groups of individuals at low or high risk for blood-borne or sexually transmitted viruses (blood donors, organ donors, unselected pregnant women, immunocompetent or immunodepressed multiply transfused patients, HIV-positive or HIV-negative homosexual men, intravenous drug addicts). RESULTS: The presence of GBV-C/HGV RNA and/or anti-E2 (exposure to GBV-C/HGV) was frequent in populations at risk for blood-borne or sexually transmitted viruses. GBV-C/HGV appeared also to be sexually transmitted, with transmission from male to female more efficient than vice versa. A particularly elevated level of exposure to GBV-C/HGV was observed in homosexual men. In immunocompetent individuals, the prevalence of anti-E2 was about twice that of GBV-C/HGV RNA, which suggests the frequency of recovery from GBV-C/HGV infection. Most of the GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive individuals had no biochemical evidence of liver damage. CONCLUSIONS: GBV-C/HGV is frequent in populations at risk for blood-borne or sexually transmitted viruses. GBV-C/HGV is not a hepatitis virus, and it seems appropriate to rename it.

[Factors predictive of early virologic response after a first treatment with an protease inhibitor in the course of HIV infection]. / Facteurs prédictifs de réponse virologique précoce après un premier traitement par une antiprotéase, au cours de l'infection à VIH.

As many factors may be involved in therapeutic response to triple therapy with protease inhibitor (PI), the aim of this study was to determine the influence of epidemiological factors (sex, risk factors), clinical status (previous number of AIDS defining events), immunological status (baseline CD4 T cells count), virological factor (baseline viral load), previous antiretroviral therapy and duration of AZT therapy (> or < 6 months), number of prescribed reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTI), therapeutic strategy (switch to different RTI or only addition of PI) and compliance, on early virological response (M2-M3) after initiation of triple therapy with PI. These results concerned 167 patients treated with triple therapy including PI. A viral load response was defined in three types: complete response (undetectable: < 500 copies/ml) for 100 patients; partial response (significant decrease: > 0.5 log from baseline) for 30 patients and no response for 37 patients. Only two parameters were associated of good virological response: no previous antiretroviral therapy (p < 0.001) and good compliance (p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed between patients with no prior therapy and pretreated patients, in terms of median baseline CD4 count and observance. The baseline median viral load was higher in naive patients despite a better response. In pretreated patients, the type of response appeared to be dependent on the duration of AZT treatment (p = 0.06) and good compliance (p = 0.06). Among the 100 patients with initial complete response, only 23/81 were still undetectable after a median of 13 months of therapy.