Prevalence of transmitted drug resistance among ART-naïve HIV-infected individuals, Beijing, 2015-2018

Transmitted drug resistance (TDR) is a critical ongoing public health challenge in HIV/AIDS therapy. We explore the prevalence of TDR, its patterns, its associated risk factors, and predicted drug sensitivity in Beijing between 2015 and 2018.

Retrospective data on TDR from 3265 antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve patients were collected at Beijing Ditan Hospital from 1 August 2014 to 31 July 2018. TDR was defined according to the Stanford Drug Resistance Mutations Database. TDR prevalence, pattern, risk factors, and predicted drug sensitivity were analysed.

The overall prevalence of HIV-1 TDR was 6.68% (218 of 3265), including 0.77%, 3.64%, and 2.36% resistance to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-NRTIs (NNRTIs), and protease inhibitors, respectively. The thymidine analogue mutations (TAMs) M41L/LM (4, 0.12%) and non-TAMs mutations M184V/MV/MI (8; 0.24%) were the primary NRTI-associated resistance mutations. K103N/KN (NNRTI associated) and M46L/I/IMV/IM/ML (protease inhibitor associated) were the other major resistance mutations. Patients 40-59 years old who had the CRF08_BC subtype were identified as having higher risk for drug resistance mutation.

The prevalence of TDR among ART-naïve individuals with HIV-1 in Beijing was at a moderate level. Long-time and continuous surveillance of HIV TDR is necessary step in the therapy of ART-naive patients.