Ya-Wei Weng1, Hung-Chin Tsai2, Susan Shin-Jung Lee3, Kuan-Sheng Wu1, Cheng-Len Sy1, Jui-Kuang Chen1, Yao-Shen Chen4. 1. Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 2. Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: hctsai1011@yahoo.com.tw. 3. Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: ssjlee@gmail.com. 4. Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: According to the World Health Organization, HIV-transmitted drug resistance (TDR) is increasing. We analyzed voluntary counseling test data from a hospital in Southern Taiwan to investigate the TDR pattern in Southern Taiwan, the potential relationship between sexual behavior and HIV transmission, and HIV drug-resistant strain transmission. METHODS: Genotypic resistance assays were performed on treatment-naïve HIV patients recruited from voluntary counseling testing (VCT) in Southern Taiwan from 2007 to 2011. Drug resistance-associated mutations were interpreted with Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database HIVdb program. Socio-demographics and sexual activity were recorded from the VCT questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for TDR, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed to elucidate the pattern of HIV drug-resistant strains. RESULTS: Among the 161 treatment-naïve HIV-infected patients, most were men who reported having sex with men. The overall TDR rate was 10.6%. Patients with a history of sexually transmitted diseases had a 7.8-fold higher risk of becoming infected with genotypic resistant strains. CONCLUSION: In Southern Taiwan, the HIV TDR rate was 10.6% among those receiving VCT. Our findings suggest that sexual behavior may play an important role in HIV drug-resistant strain transmission.
BACKGROUND: According to the World Health Organization, HIV-transmitted drug resistance (TDR) is increasing. We analyzed voluntary counseling test data from a hospital in Southern Taiwan to investigate the TDR pattern in Southern Taiwan, the potential relationship between sexual behavior and HIV transmission, and HIV drug-resistant strain transmission. METHODS: Genotypic resistance assays were performed on treatment-naïve HIV patients recruited from voluntary counseling testing (VCT) in Southern Taiwan from 2007 to 2011. Drug resistance-associated mutations were interpreted with Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database HIVdb program. Socio-demographics and sexual activity were recorded from the VCT questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for TDR, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed to elucidate the pattern of HIV drug-resistant strains. RESULTS: Among the 161 treatment-naïve HIV-infectedpatients, most were men who reported having sex with men. The overall TDR rate was 10.6%. Patients with a history of sexually transmitted diseases had a 7.8-fold higher risk of becoming infected with genotypic resistant strains. CONCLUSION: In Southern Taiwan, the HIV TDR rate was 10.6% among those receiving VCT. Our findings suggest that sexual behavior may play an important role in HIV drug-resistant strain transmission.