[Primary resistance to antiretroviral therapy in patients with HIV/AIDS in Chile].
BACKGROUND
Resistance to antiretroviral therapy is a determining factor for therapeutic failure in HIV/AIDS. The prevalence of primary resistance (i.e. in those patients that have not received treatment) varies in different parts of the world.


OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of primary resistance to antiretroviral drugs in patients living in Northern Santiago.


METHODS
Viral load, lymphocyte subpopulations by flow cytometry and genotypic resistance testing were assessed in blood samples from 60 HIV-1 infected patients (mean age 37 years, 54 male).


RESULTS
Mean CD4 cell count and viral load was 200 cells/ml and 142,840 RNA copies/ml respectively. Ten mutations were identified: V179D, L10I/V, M361, L63P, A71T/V, Y115F, V118I and K20R. None of these mutations is associated to a high degree of resistance to reverse transcriptase inhibitors, nucleoside analogs (NRTI), non nucleoside analogs (NNRTI) or viral protease inhibitors.


CONCLUSIONS
This is a first approach to study antiretroviral resistance in Chilean patients. This study must be amplified, since the prevalence of resistance may experience changes with time.
Afani
Alejandro
A
Sección de Inmunología, Departamento de Medicina, Hospital Clínico, Universidad de Chile, Chile. aafani@vtr.net
Ayala
Marisol
M
Meyer
Andrea
A
Cabrera
Roy
R
Acevedo
William
W
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation
D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase