title: Phylogenetic analysis of HIV-1 subtypes and drug resistance profile among treatment-naïve people in Kuwait.
abstract: Mutations associated with resistance to antiretroviral therapy are a major cause of failure to treatment, and surveillance for the emergence of HIV resistance became a component of all antiretroviral treatment programs. As transmission of resistant viruses to newly infected persons is possible, we aimed to determine the prevalence of primary mutations associated with antiretroviral resistance among treatment-naïve patients, with respect to HIV subtype. Viral RNA was extracted from plasma samples of 43 treatment-naïve patients. Protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) regions were amplified and sequenced using the TRUGENE HIV-1 Genotyping Assay. A phylogenetic analysis was performed for HIV subtype assignment. Complete sequence information could be obtained for 35 patients. A total of ten different HIV-1 subtypes and recombinant forms were found in Kuwait with predominance of subtypes B, C, and CRF01_AE. A62V and A98G were non-polymorphic resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) detected in the RT region of two and three patients, respectively. Non-polymorphic mutations associated with resistance to protease inhibitors were not detected. Our results support continuous surveillance of RAMs in newly infected individuals to assess the effectiveness of first-line antiretroviral regimen available in Kuwait.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Wassim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chehadeh
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Albaksami
authors.affiliation: Virology Unit, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Haya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Altawalah
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Suhail
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Madi
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Sonia E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: John
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Priya S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait.|Virology Unit, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Widad
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Al-Nakib
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D016333:HIV Protease / Q000235:genetics; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007730:Kuwait; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013997:Time Factors; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D016333:HIV Protease
keywords: HIV-1; Kuwait; drug resistance; subtypes