World-wide variation in HIV-1 phenotypic susceptibility in untreated individuals: biologically relevant values for resistance testing

Abstract

To examine the natural phenotypic variability in drug susceptibility among recombinant HIV-1 isolates from a large number of untreated HIV-positive individuals from wide-ranging geographic locations, and to use this information to establish biologically relevant cut-off values for phenotypic antiretroviral susceptibility testing. Phenotypic susceptibility to 14 antiretroviral agents was determined for HIV-1 samples from > 1000 treatment-naive individuals in seven clinical trials. Samples were from the USA (n = 351), Germany (n = 306), Canada (n = 265), and South Africa (n = 358). Geometric mean fold-resistance and confidence intervals were determined relative to a standard laboratory wild-type virus. Baseline fold-resistance was approximately log-normally distributed for all antiretroviral agents examined. There was no evidence of large geographical differences in average antiviral susceptibility. Geometric mean fold-resistance for each of 14 antiviral agents was similar (± 0.5-fold) for samples derived from the USA, Canada, Germany, or South Africa. The non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) exhibited the broadest distribution of susceptibility; approximately 97.5% of all isolates had Phenotypic drug susceptibility of HIV-1 in untreated individuals varies markedly from drug to drug, with broadly similar patterns world-wide. These results have important implications in defining the ‘normal range’ of phenotypic susceptibility to antiretroviral agents and establish biologically relevant cut-off values for this phenotypic drug susceptibility test.