Large-scale evaluation of HIV-1 DNA drug resistance testing as a robust tool for clinical decision-making: A nationwide study in China.

ABSTRACT: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) drug resistance remains a major challenge in HIV/AIDS management, particularly in individuals with low-level viremia (LLV) where RNA-based drug resistance testing (DRT) often fails. Although HIV-1 DNA DRT represents a promising alternative, its clinical utility has been constrained by insufficient evidence. This nationwide study in China enrolled 9,428 people living with HIV (PLWH), analyzing 10,903 samples spanning a wide viral load (VL) spectrum. To improve RNA detection, an optimized primer design combined with an extracellular particle (EP)-HIV co-isolation technique was developed. We then evaluated the reproducibility of drug resistance mutation (DRM) profiles between paired RNA and DNA DRTs using Sanger sequencing (SS), with single-molecule

SUBMITTER: Wu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12924009 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature