Comparison of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease mutations in HIV-1 genomes detected in plasma and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients receiving combination drug therapy.

Detections of mutations in the protease gene of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were sought in two matched populations of 23 individuals receiving combination drug therapy with or without protease inhibitors. In the control group (23 patients not receiving protease inhibitors), no primary resistance mutations were found. In contrast, primary resistance mutations (especially at codons M46, V82, and L90) were found in 16 of 23 patients (70%) treated with protease inhibitors. In 30% of the cases, these mutations were detected in plasma but not in PBMC.