title: Antiretroviral drug resistance and HIV-1 subtypes among treatment-naive prisoners in Kelantan, Malaysia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and continuous reports of HIV-1 strains developing resistance to these drugs is rather alarming, as transmission of resistant viruses to newly infected persons is possible. This study aimed to determine HIV-1 subtypes and the prevalence of primary mutations associated with antiretroviral (ARV) resistance among treatment-naive prisoners on the east coast of Malaysia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Viral RNA was extracted from plasma samples of 21 treatment-naive prisoners. Protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) regions were amplified and sequenced. Stanford HIV database algorithms were used for interpretation of resistance, and phylogenetic analysis was performed for subtype assignment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the PR gene, no antiviral resistance-associated mutation was detected. For RT-associated mutations, K103N was the most prevalent in sequenced samples (14.3%). Genetic subtyping on the pol gene revealed that the majority of the prisoners were infected with subtype CRF33_01B (52.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Continuous surveillance of newly infected individuals is required to help strategize the best antiviral treatment for these patients.
authors.affiliation: Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. tengkuahmadakram@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tengku Ahmad Akram Tengku Mohd
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Ariffin
authors.forename: Suharni
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohamad
authors.forename: Wan Nazirah Wan
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Yusuf
authors.forename: Rafidah Hanim
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Shueb
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D016333:HIV Protease / Q000235:genetics; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; C514824:reverse transcriptase, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D016333:HIV Protease