[Mutations of HIV-1 RT gene isolated from patients treated with AZT]

HIV-1 strains were isolated from three patients treated with AZT and from three patients not treated with AZT. Progenomes of HIV-1 RT gene were amplified by PCR and cloned to M13mp18 vecter. Four amino acid mutations in RT gene (Asp67, Lys70, Thr215, Lys219) associated with resistance to AZT were analysed. All of the 14 clones obtained from the three patients with AZT therapy had mutations at codon 215 (Thr-->Tyr or Phe). Some of the 14 clones also had other mutations at codon 67 (Asp-->Asn or Ser), codon 70 (Lys-->Arg) and codon 219 (Lys-->Glu). All of 18 clones obtained from the patients not treated with AZT have no mutation at any codon mentioned above.