Primary HIV-1 drug resistance and polymorphic patterns among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Chennai, Southern India.
OBJECTIVE
India has 1.1 million injecting drug users (IDUs) with an HIV prevalence rate as high as 64%. Drug resistance screening before therapy is beneficial to the individual. Here, we have studied primary drug resistance among IDUs in Chennai.


METHODS
Specimens (n = 55) collected between March 2005 and April 2006 were subjected to genotyping assay. The mutations for the drug resistance were interpreted using the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database.


RESULTS
M41LM (1.8%), K65KN (1.8%), and G73GS (2.7%) were found to be associated with low-level resistance to zidovudine (ZDV), stavudine (d4T), abacavir (ABC), didanosine (ddI), emtricitabine (FTC), tenofovir (TDF), and saquinavir (SQV) in each specimen. The rate of polymorphisms is significantly different from universally established subtype ''C''-specific polymorphisms (P < .0001).


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of drug resistance mutations, though minimal, is alarming as it could spread easily between IDUs and from them to their sexual partners. The genetic variation is of importance in vaccine design.
Iqbal
H Syed
HS
YRG Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRG CARE), Voluntary Health Services Hospital Campus, Taramani, Chennai, India.
Solomon
Sunil S
SS
Madhavan
Vidya
V
Solomon
Suniti
S
Balakrishnan
P
P
D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016049:Didanosine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D000068679:Emtricitabine; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019258:Saquinavir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018119:Stavudine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000068698:Tenofovir; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000099227:Abacavir
D000225:Adenine; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D016049:Didanosine; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D000068679:Emtricitabine; D063065:Organophosphonates; D012367:RNA, Viral; D019258:Saquinavir; D018119:Stavudine; D000068698:Tenofovir; D015215:Zidovudine; D000099227:Abacavir