Prevalence of Drug Resistance and Associated Mutations in a Population of HIV + Puerto Ricans: 2005-2007

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. Our main objective is to maintain a record of the evolution of the HIV in Puerto Rico by monitoring the levels of resistance to antiretrovirals and the mutations expressed. We analyzed plasma from HIV positive patients using TRUGENE HIV-1 Genotyping Kit and OpenGene DNA Sequencing System. Samples from 2005 (458; 271 males, 136 females, 51 anonymous), 2006 (707; 245 female, 411 male, 52 anonymous), and 2007 (608; 206 female, 384 male, 18 anonymous) were analyzed.  Results show that for 2005 60.1% of males and 50.2% of females had resistance to at least one medication; 66.7% of males and 74.3% of females for 2006 and 60.4% of males and 65.2% of females for 2007.  Average number of mutations for 2005 in males was 6.27 and 5.49 in females; 6.74 in males and 6.54 in females for 2006; 6.77 in males and 6.51 in females for 2007.  The highest levels of resistance for 2005 and 2006 were to Zalcitabine, Lamivudine; for 2007 were to Emtricitabine and Atazanavir.  The RT mutations with the highest frequency for 2005, 2006 and 2007 were M184V and K103N. Protease mutations with the highest expression for 2005 were L63P, M36I and L90M; for 2006 were L63T, L63P and M36I; for 2007 were L63P, V77I and I13V. Significant differences between men and women were recorded in the levels of HIV-1 expressed mutations and resistance.