Drug resistance patterns, genetic subtypes, clinical features, and risk factors in military personnel with HIV-1 seroconversion

Background: Regular testing of military personnel identifies early HIV infe ction; this identification provides a sentinel cohort in which to describe the evolving molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 transmission. Objective: To describe the prevalence and epidemiologic correlates associat ed with the acquisition of non-subtype B and drug-resistant HIV infections. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Military referral hospital. Patients: 95 military personnel with HIV-1 seroconversion. Measurements: Self-reported questionnaire, CD4 cell counts, plasma HIV-1 RN A levels, and nucleic acid sequence analysis for drug-resistant mutations a nd HIV-1 genetic subtype. Results: 95 patients were enrolled between February 1997 and February 1998. The likely geographic location of HIV-1 acquisition was overseas in 8% of patients, the United States in 68%, and either overseas or the United State s in 24%. Seven patients (7.4%) had subtype E infection; the remainder had subtype B infection. Eight of 31 (26%) treatment-naive patients had mutatio ns in the reverse transcriptase or protease gene associated with drug resis tance. Conclusions: The percentage of HIV-1 non-subtype B infection and antiretrov iral drug-resistant mutations was relatively high in U.S. military personne l with recently acquired HIV-1 infection.