title: Temporal change in the use of genotypic resistance testing over the years 1999--2003.
abstract: The evaluation of resistance test perception by clinicians over the years 1999--2003 was assessed in an Italian cohort. The results on 2233 samples from 1416 HIV-1 infected patients show an increase in HIV-1 drug resistance test requests over time, with a plateau reached in the last three years. CD4-cell count at the time of genotype request progressively increased. In particular, the median CD4 cell count of drug-treated patients increased from 221x10(6) cells/l [interquartile range (IQR): 109-368] in 1999 to 296x10(6) cells/l (IQR: 166-478) in 2003 (p<0.0001). At the same time, plasma HIV-RNA level progressively decreased from a median of 103,500 copies/ml (IQR: 37,250-260,000) in 1999 to 9,444 copies/ml (IQR: 2,086-41,281) in 2003 (p<0.0001). Overall, data suggest that the genotype test is increasingly considered, and requested also for patients at earlier stages of drug history and/or at less severe disease stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ceccherini-Silberstein
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gori
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Svicher
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forbici
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bellocchi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: d'Arrigo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertoli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giannella
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Trotta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonfigli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antinori
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Perno
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D014766:Viremia
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents