Authors: A Jlizi A Ben Ammar El Gaaied A Slim F Tebourski M Ben Mamou T Ben Chaabane A LetaiefOmezzine M Chakroun M Garbouj S Ben Rejeb
Publish Date: 2008/05/16
Volume: 153, Issue: 6, Pages: 1103-1108
Abstract
Three years after the introduction of antiretroviral therapy ART in Tunisia North Africa we aimed to determine the prevalence of drug resistance mutations in Tunisian HIV1infected patients failing ART Plasma samples of 80 patients were tested for genotypic resistance using two distinct line probe assays LiPA HIV1 reverse transcriptase RT and LiPA HIV1 protease assay Of the 80 patients 825 showed resistance to at least one antiretroviral molecule In the RT gene resistance to nucleoside RT inhibitors NRTIs and nonnucleoside RT inhibitors NNRTIs were recognized in 6625 and 375 respectively with M184V T215Y and K103N being the codons most frequently involved Resistance to protease inhibitors PIs was found in 4625 of cases Despite the presence of different mutations the viral variants were still susceptible to other RTIs and PIs that are currently not available in Tunisia Thus alternative therapeutic options exist but are not yet accessibleThis work was performed at the National HIV Reference Laboratory Charles Nicolle Hospital Tunis Tunisia The expert assistance of the laboratory staff is gratefully acknowledged The Department of Public Health Direction des Soins de Santé de Base and the Department of Higher education financed this work
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