A detailed characterization of drug resistance during darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy highlights a high barrier to the emergence of resistance mutations in protease but identifies alternative pathways of resistance

© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy..

BACKGROUND: Maintenance monotherapy with ritonavir-boosted darunavir has yielded variable outcomes and is not recommended. Trial samples offer valuable opportunities for detailed studies. We analysed samples from a 48 week trial in Cameroon to obtain a detailed characterization of drug resistance.

METHODS: Following failure of NNRTI-based therapy and virological suppression on PI-based therapy, participants were randomized to ritonavir-boosted darunavir (n = 81) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/lamivudine +ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (n = 39). At study entry, PBMC-derived HIV-1 DNA underwent bulk Protease and Reverse Transcriptase (RT) sequencing. At virological rebound (confirmed or last available HIV-1 RNA ≥ 60 copies/mL), plasma HIV-1 RNA underwent ultradeep Protease and RT sequencing and bulk Gag-Protease sequencing. The site-directed mutant T375A (p2/p7) was characterized phenotypically using a single-cycle assay.

RESULTS: NRTI and NNRTI resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) were detected in 52/90 (57.8%) and 53/90 (58.9%) HIV-1 DNA samples, respectively. Prevalence in rebound HIV-1 RNA (ritonavir-boosted darunavir, n = 21; ritonavir-boosted lopinavir, n = 2) was 9/23 (39.1%) and 10/23 (43.5%), respectively, with most RAMs detected at frequencies ≥15%. The resistance patterns of paired HIV-1 DNA and RNA sequences were partially consistent. No darunavir RAMs were found. Among eight participants experiencing virological rebound on ritonavir-boosted darunavir (n = 12 samples), all had Gag mutations associated with PI exposure, including T375N, T375A (p2/p7), K436R (p7/p1) and substitutions in p17, p24, p2 and p6. T375A conferred 10-fold darunavir resistance and increased replication capacity.

CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the high resistance barrier of ritonavir-boosted darunavir while identifying alternative pathways of resistance through Gag substitutions. During virological suppression, resistance patterns in HIV-1 DNA reflect treatment history, but due to technical and biological considerations, cautious interpretation is warranted.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:79

Enthalten in:

The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy - 79(2024), 2 vom: 01. Feb., Seite 339-348

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Abdullahi, Adam [VerfasserIn]
Diaz, Ana Garcia [VerfasserIn]
Fopoussi, Olga Mafotsing [VerfasserIn]
Beloukas, Apostolos [VerfasserIn]
Defo, Victoire Fokom [VerfasserIn]
Kouanfack, Charles [VerfasserIn]
Torimiro, Judith [VerfasserIn]
Geretti, Anna Maria [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

2494G1JF75
63231-63-0
9007-49-2
Anti-HIV Agents
DNA
Darunavir
EC 3.4.-
HIV Protease Inhibitors
Journal Article
Lopinavir
O3J8G9O825
Peptide Hydrolases
RNA
Randomized Controlled Trial
Ritonavir
YO603Y8113

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 02.02.2024

Date Revised 03.02.2024

published: Print

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1093/jac/dkad386

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM366438956