Objective: To assess the secondary resistance patterns of HIV-1to Anti-Retroviral Agents drugs (ART) in patients with virological failure in the main HIV care center in Guatemala.
Methods: Using the Stanford HIV Database,HIV pol sequences were analyzed to obtain resistance patterns in patients with first-failure to ART or multiple-failures (2 or more regimens failed), from 2008 to 2012. Proportions and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated.
Results: 83% (43) in the first-failure and 75% (30) in multiple-failures had resistance. The highest frequency (70%)of resistance was found in the non-nucleoside-inhibitors ART family. 44% (42) showed resistance to two ART families and 4% (4) to the three families. First-failure patients had higher risk of nucleoside-inhibitor resistance (OR:3.0, 95%CI 1.29-6.98) and multidrug resistance (OR:4.94, 95%CI 1.98-12.32). Most frequent mutations were: M184V, K103N and K65R (71, 50 and 22%, respectively). 70% of patients with first-failure were resistant to at least one of the drugs used as second ART in Guatemala (ABC, ddI or AZT).
Conclusions: The high level of HIV-1 resistance to ART observed, suggest the need to amend the current second line regimen treatments in Guatemala and the importance of viral genotyping in all patients with first-failure to ART.