High efficacy of switching to bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide in people with suppressed HIV and preexisting M184V/I

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the prevalence of preexisting M184V/I and associated risk factors among clinical trial participants with suppressed HIV and evaluated the impact of M184V/I on virologic response after switching to bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF).

DESIGN

Participant data were pooled from six clinical trials investigating the safety and efficacy of switching to B/F/TAF in virologically suppressed people with HIV.

METHODS

Preexisting drug resistance was assessed by historical genotypes and/or baseline proviral DNA genotyping. Virologic outcomes were determined by last available on-treatment HIV-1 RNA. Stepwise selection identified potential risk factors for M184V/I in a multivariate logistic regression model.

RESULTS

Altogether, 2034 participants switched treatment regimens to B/F/TAF and had follow-up HIV-1 RNA data, and 1825 of these participants had baseline genotypic data available. Preexisting M184V/I was identified in 182 (10%), mostly by baseline proviral DNA genotype ( n  = 167). Most substitutions were M184V ( n  = 161) or M184V/I mixtures ( n  = 10). Other resistance substitutions were often detected in addition to M184V/I ( n  = 147). At last on-treatment visit, 98% (179/182) with preexisting M184V/I and 99% (2012/2034) of all B/F/TAF-treated participants had HIV-1 RNA less than 50 copies/ml, with no treatment-emergent resistance to B/F/TAF. Among adult participants, factors associated with preexisting M184V/I included other resistance, black race, Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity, lower baseline CD4 + cell count, advanced HIV disease, longer duration of antiretroviral therapy, and greater number of prior third agents.

CONCLUSION

M184V/I was detected in 10% of virologically suppressed clinical trial participants at study baseline. Switching to B/F/TAF demonstrated durable efficacy in maintaining viral suppression, including in those with preexisting M184V/I.

A Simple Symptom Score for Acute Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in a San Diego Community-Based Screening Program

Background

Treatment of acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (AHI) decreases transmission and preserves immune function, but AHI diagnosis remains resource intensive. Risk-based scores predictive for AHI have been described for high-risk groups; however, symptom-based scores could be more generalizable across populations.

Methods

Adults who tested either positive for AHI (antibody-negative, HIV nucleic acid test [NAT] positive) or HIV NAT negative with the community-based San Diego Early Test HIV screening program were retrospectively randomized 2:1 into a derivation and validation set. In the former, symptoms significant for AHI in a multivariate logistic regression model were assigned a score value (the odds ratio [OR] rounded to the nearest integer). The score was assessed in the validation set using receiver operating characteristics and areas under the curve (AUC). An optimal cutoff score was found using the Youden index.

Results

Of 998 participants (including 261 non-men who have sex with men [MSM]), 113 had AHI (including 4 non-MSM). Compared to HIV-negative cases, AHI cases reported more symptoms (median, 4 vs 0; P < .01). Fever, myalgia, and weight loss were significantly associated with AHI in the multivariate model and corresponded to 11, 8, and 4 score points, respectively. The summed score yielded an AUC of 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI], .77-.93). A score of ≥11 was 72% sensitive and 96% specific (diagnostic OR, 70.27).

Conclusions

A 3-symptom score accurately predicted AHI in a community-based screening program and may inform allocation of resources in settings that do not routinely screen for AHI.

Prevalence and trends in transmitted and acquired antiretroviral drug resistance, Washington, DC, 1999-2014

Background

Drug resistance limits options for antiretroviral therapy (ART) and results in poorer health outcomes among HIV-infected persons. We sought to characterize resistance patterns and to identify predictors of resistance in Washington, DC.

Methods

We analyzed resistance in the DC Cohort, a longitudinal study of HIV-infected persons in care in Washington, DC. We measured cumulative drug resistance (CDR) among participants with any genotype between 1999 and 2014 (n = 3411), transmitted drug resistance (TDR) in ART-naïve persons (n = 1503), and acquired drug resistance (ADR) in persons with genotypes before and after ART initiation (n = 309). Using logistic regression, we assessed associations between patient characteristics and transmitted resistance to any antiretroviral.

Results

Prevalence of TDR was 20.5%, of ADR 40.5%, and of CDR 45.1% in the respective analysis groups. From 2004 to 2013, TDR prevalence decreased for nucleoside and nucleotide analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (15.0 to 5.5%; p = 0.0003) and increased for integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) (0.0–1.4%; p = 0.04). In multivariable analysis, TDR was not associated with age, race/ethnicity, HIV risk group, or years from HIV diagnosis.

Conclusions

In this urban cohort of HIV-infected persons, almost half of participants tested had evidence of CDR; and resistance to INSTIs was increasing. If this trend continues, inclusion of the integrase-encoding region in baseline genotype testing should be strongly considered.

Surveillance of HIV-1 pol transmitted drug resistance in acutely and recently infected antiretroviral drug-naïve persons in rural western Kenya

HIV-1 transmitted drug resistance (TDR) is of increasing public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa with the rollout of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. Such data are, however, limited in Kenya, where HIV-1 drug resistance testing is not routinely performed. From a population-based household survey conducted between September and November 2012 in rural western Kenya, we retrospectively assessed HIV-1 TDR baseline rates, its determinants, and genetic diversity among drug-naïve persons aged 15–59 years with acute HIV-1 infections (AHI) and recent HIV-1 infections (RHI) as determined by nucleic acid amplification test and both Limiting Antigen and BioRad avidity immunoassays, respectively. HIV-1 pol sequences were scored for drug resistance mutations using Stanford HIVdb and WHO 2009 mutation guidelines. HIV-1 subtyping was computed in MEGA6. Eighty seven (93.5%) of the eligible samples were successfully sequenced. Of these, 8 had at least one TDR mutation, resulting in a TDR prevalence of 9.2% (95% CI 4.7–17.1). No TDR was observed among persons with AHI (n = 7). TDR prevalence was 4.6% (95% CI 1.8–11.2) for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), 6.9% (95% CI 3.2–14.2) for non- nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), and 1.2% (95% CI 0.2–6.2) for protease inhibitors. Three (3.4% 95% CI 0.8–10.1) persons had dual-class NRTI/NNRTI resistance. Predominant TDR mutations in the reverse transcriptase included K103N/S (4.6%) and M184V (2.3%); only M46I/L (1.1%) occurred in the protease. All the eight persons were predicted to have different grades of resistance to the ARV regimens, ranging from potential low-level to high-level resistance. HIV-1 subtype distribution was heterogeneous: A (57.5%), C (6.9%), D (21.8%), G (2.3%), and circulating recombinant forms (11.5%). Only low CD4 count was associated with TDR (p = 0.0145). Our findings warrant the need for enhanced HIV-1 TDR monitoring in order to inform on population-based therapeutic guidelines and public health interventions.

Rapid HIV Viral Load Suppression in those Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy at First Visit after HIV Diagnosis

Expert guidelines for antiretroviral therapy (ART) now recommend ART as soon as possible in all HIV infected persons to reduce the risk of disease progression and prevent transmission. The goal of this observational study was to evaluate the impact of very early ART initiation and regimen type on time to viral suppression. We evaluated time to viral suppression among 86 persons with newly-diagnosed HIV infection who initiated ART within 30 days of diagnosis. A total of 36 (42%) had acute, 27 (31%) early, and 23 (27%) had established HIV infection. The median time from an offer of immediate ART to starting ART was 8 days. A total of 56/86 (65%) initiated an integrase inhibitor-based regimen and 30/86 (35%) a protease inhibitor-based regimen. The time to viral suppression was significantly shorter in those receiving an integrase inhibitor- versus a protease inhibitor-based regimen (p = 0.022). Twenty-two (26%) initiated ART at their HIV care intake visit and 79% of these participants achieved viral suppression at week 12, 82% at week 24 and 88% at week 48. ART initiated at the intake visit led to rapid and reliable viral suppression in acute, early and chronic HIV infection, in particular when integrase inhibitor-based regimens were used.

Prevalence of Transmitted HIV Drug Resistance Among Recently Infected Persons in San Diego, CA 1996-2013

BACKGROUND

Transmitted drug resistance (TDR) remains an important concern when initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART). Here, we describe the prevalence and phylogenetic relationships of TDR among ART-naive, HIV-infected individuals in San Diego from 1996 to 2013.

METHODS

Data were analyzed from 496 participants of the San Diego Primary Infection Cohort who underwent genotypic resistance testing before initiating therapy. Mutations associated with drug resistance were identified according to the WHO-2009 surveillance list. Network and phylogenetic analyses of the HIV-1 pol sequences were used to evaluate the relationships of TDR within the context of the entire cohort.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of TDR was 13.5% (67/496), with an increasing trend over the study period (P = 0.005). TDR was predominantly toward nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) [8.5% (42/496)], also increasing over the study period (P = 0.005). By contrast, TDR to protease inhibitors and nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors were 4.4% (22/496) and 3.8% (19/496), respectively, and did not vary with time. TDR prevalence did not differ by age, gender, race/ethnicity, or risk factors. Using phylogenetic analysis, we identified 52 transmission clusters, including 8 with at least 2 individuals sharing the same mutation, accounting for 23.8% (16/67) of the individuals with TDR.

CONCLUSIONS

Between 1996 and 2013, the prevalence of TDR significantly increased among recently infected ART-naive individuals in San Diego. Around one-fourth of TDR occurred within clusters of recently infected individuals. These findings highlight the importance of baseline resistance testing to guide selection of ART and for public health monitoring.

Risk Factors for Acute and Early HIV Infection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) in San Diego, 2008 to 2014: A Cohort Study

The objectives of this study were to identify risk factors associated with acute and early HIV infection (AEH) among men who have sex with men (MSM) undergoing community HIV testing and to compare demographics in those diagnosed with AEH with those diagnosed at chronic stage of HIV infection.In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed risk factors associated with AEH among 8925 unique MSM (including 200 with AEH [2.2%] and 219 [2.5%] with newly diagnosed chronic HIV infection) undergoing community-based, confidential AEH screening in San Diego, California.The combination of condomless receptive anal intercourse (CRAI) plus ≥5 male partners, CRAI with an HIV-positive male, CRAI with a person who injects drugs, and prior syphilis diagnosis were significant predictors of AEH in the multivariable Cox regression model. Individuals reporting ≥1 of these 4 risk factors had a hazard ratio of 4.6 for AEH. MSM diagnosed with AEH differed in race (P = 0.005; more reported white race [P = 0.001], less black race [P = 0.030], trend toward less Native American race [P = 0.061]), when compared to those diagnosed with chronic HIV infection, while there was no difference observed regarding age.We established a multivariate model for the predicting risk of AEH infection in a cohort of MSM undergoing community HIV screening, which could be potentially used to discern those in need of further HIV nucleic acid amplification testing for community screening programs that do not test routinely for AEH. In addition, we found that race differed between those diagnosed with AEH and those diagnosed at chronic stage of HIV infection underlining the need for interventions that reduce stigma and promote the uptake of HIV testing for black MSM.

Development and validation of the San Diego Early Test Score to predict acute and early HIV infection risk in men who have sex with men

BACKGROUND

Although men who have sex with men (MSM) represent a dominant risk group for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the risk of HIV infection within this population is not uniform. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a score to estimate incident HIV infection risk.

METHODS

Adult MSM who were tested for acute and early HIV (AEH) between 2008 and 2014 were retrospectively randomized 2:1 to a derivation and validation dataset, respectively. Using the derivation dataset, each predictor associated with an AEH outcome in the multivariate prediction model was assigned a point value that corresponded to its odds ratio. The score was validated on the validation dataset using C-statistics.

RESULTS

Data collected at a single HIV testing encounter from 8326 unique MSM were analyzed, including 200 with AEH (2.4%). Four risk behavior variables were significantly associated with an AEH diagnosis (ie, incident infection) in multivariable analysis and were used to derive the San Diego Early Test (SDET) score: condomless receptive anal intercourse (CRAI) with an HIV-positive MSM (3 points), the combination of CRAI plus ≥5 male partners (3 points), ≥10 male partners (2 points), and diagnosis of bacterial sexually transmitted infection (2 points)-all as reported for the prior 12 months. The C-statistic for this risk score was >0.7 in both data sets.

CONCLUSIONS

The SDET risk score may help to prioritize resources and target interventions, such as preexposure prophylaxis, to MSM at greatest risk of acquiring HIV infection. The SDET risk score is deployed as a freely available tool at http://sdet.ucsd.edu.

Low prevalence of the transmitted HIV-1 drug resistance among newly diagnosed HIV-1 individuals in Jiangsu Province, China during 2009-2011

Background

Prevalence of The transmitted HIV drug resistance (THDR) has been reported in many countries. In China, the low level THDR was found in only a few provinces. To know the transmitted HIV drug resistance in east of China, we investigated THDR during 2009–2011 in Jiangsu province of China.

Methods

Between January and August of 2009, 2010, and 2011, we consecutively collected 50, 54, 53 blood specimens respectively from qualified individuals at surveillance sentinel sites in Jiangsu province according to protocol of HIV Drug Resistance Threshold Survey (HIVDR-TS) recommended by WHO. The region of pol gene including protease and partial retro-transcriptase was amplified, sequenced and edited. Then the sequences were submitted to HIV drug resistance database to analysis transmitted HIV drug resistance mutations using Calibrated Population Resistance tool. The reference sequences of different HIV-1 subtypes were downloaded from HIV database and Genebank. The phylogenetic trees were inferred using the neighbor-joining method.

Results

Our results show that THDR has been at low level from 2009 to 2011, only K101E and V179D mutation was detected which did not belong to the major HIV-1 drug resistance mutations. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CRF01_AE is the predominant subtype, and followed by CRF07_BC and B subtype. Subtype B consists of the two distinct clusters.

Conclusions

The low level of THDR suggests that anti-retroviral treatment was implemented more effectively and THDR surveillance should be conducted two years later in Jiangsu province of China. CRF01_AE has become the predominant subtype and dual infection of HIV may be common in Jiangsu province.