Reappearance of Minority K103N HIV-1 Variants after Stopping Early ART
Author Information
Author(s): Metzner Karin J., Leemann Christine, Di Giallonardo Francesca, Grube Christina, Scherrer Alexandra U., Braun Dominique, Kuster Herbert, Weber Rainer, Guenthard Huldrych F.
Primary Institution: University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Hypothesis
Can minority K103N and M184V HIV-1 variants reappear after interruption of early antiretroviral therapy (ART)?
Conclusion
Minority K103N HIV-1 variants can reappear and persist after stopping suppressive ART, while M184V variants show sporadic appearance.
Supporting Evidence
- Minority K103N HIV-1 variants were detected in some patients before starting ART.
- Two of four patients with K103N variants during primary infection had these variants reappear after stopping ART.
- Minority M184V variants were detected in two patients after ART interruption.
Takeaway
Some tiny versions of the HIV virus that are resistant to treatment can come back after stopping medicine, while others might just show up sometimes.
Methodology
The study involved 17 patients from the Zurich Primary HIV infection study, measuring minority HIV-1 variants in plasma samples after ART interruption using allele-specific real-time PCR.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and focused on a limited number of mutations.
Participant Demographics
All participants were men who have sex with men, infected with HIV-1 subtype B.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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