Characterization of mutations in HIV type 1 isolates from 144 Cambodian recently infected patients and pregnant women naive to antiretroviral drugs.

ABSTRACT

A baseline study has been conducted to determine the polymorphism of reverse transcriptase, protease, and envelope genes of HIV-1 isolates from 146 antiretroviral drug-naive Cambodian patients including 22 seroconverters and 124 pregnant women having been diagnosed HIV positive for less than 1 year. Amplification of at least one gene was successful for 144 isolates. All three genes were obtained for 136 isolates. Subtyping showed that CRF01_AE was predominant (130 cases). According to the ANRS September 2004 list, polymorphism substitutions (>50% versus the subtype B consensus) of CRF01_AE at drug resistance positions were observed only in protease I13V (81%), E35D (87%), M36I (100%), R41K (96%), and H69K (100%). Two strains bore one major resistance mutation to PIs M46I and N88D. Five other strains carried drug resistance mutations to RTIs K70R (one strain), V75M (three strains), and K101E (one strain). Of the isolates 4.9% had drug resistance mutations to antiretroviral drugs.