High HIV-1 Virological Failure and Drug Resistance among Adult Patients Receiving First-Line ART for At least 12 Months at a Decentralized Urban HIV Clinic Setting in Senegal before the Test-and-Treat

Aristid Ekollo Mbange; Abou Abdallah Malick Diouara; Halimatou Diop-Ndiaye; Ndèye Aminata Diaw Diouf; Ndèye Fatou Ngom-Ngueye; Kine Ndiaye Touré; Ahmed Dieng; Seynabou Lô; Mamadou Fall; Wilfred Fon Mbacham; Souleymane Mboup; Coumba Touré-Kane

doi:10.1177/11786337211014503

High HIV-1 Virological Failure and Drug Resistance among Adult Patients Receiving First-Line ART for At least 12 Months at a Decentralized Urban HIV Clinic Setting in Senegal before the Test-and-Treat

Infect Dis (Auckl). 2021 May 10:14:11786337211014503. doi: 10.1177/11786337211014503. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Aristid Ekollo Mbange^{1

2

3}, Abou Abdallah Malick Diouara^{1

4}, Halimatou Diop-Ndiaye^{1

3}, Ndèye Aminata Diaw Diouf^{1

3}, Ndèye Fatou Ngom-Ngueye⁵, Kine Ndiaye Touré⁶, Ahmed Dieng⁵, Seynabou Lô⁶, Mamadou Fall³, Wilfred Fon Mbacham², Souleymane Mboup¹, Coumba Touré-Kane^{1

3

7}

Affiliations

¹ The Institute for Health Research, Epidemiological Surveillance and Training (IRESSEF), Diamniadio, Senegal.
² The Biotechnology Center and Department of Biochemistry, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
³ Laboratoire de Bactériologie-Virologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Aristide Le Dantec/Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Dakar, Sénégal.
⁴ Département de Génie Chimique et de Biologie Appliquée, Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique/Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Dakar, Sénégal.
⁵ Centre de Traitement Ambulatoire, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Fann, Dakar, Sénégal.
⁶ Hôpital Régional de Saint-Louis, Saint-Louis, Sénégal.
⁷ Laboratoire de Bactériologie-Virologie CHNU Dalal Jam, Dakar, Sénégal.

Abstract

Background: The feasibility of antiretroviral therapy (ART) monitoring remains problematic in decentralized HIV clinic settings of sub-Saharan Africa. We assessed the rates and correlates of HIV-1 virological failure (VF) and drug resistance (DR) in 2 pre-test-and-treat urban clinic settings of Senegal.

Methods: Consenting HIV-1-infected adults (⩾18 years) receiving first-line ART for ⩾12 months were cross-sectionally enrolled between January and March 2015, at the referral outpatient treatment center of Dakar (n = 151) and decentralized regional hospital of Saint-Louis (n = 127). In the 12 months preceding plasma specimens' collection patients at Saint-Louis had no viral load (VL) testing. Significant predictors of VF (VL ⩾ 1000 copies/ml) and DR (clinically relevant mutations) were determined using binomial logistic regression in R software.

Results: Of the 278 adults on EFV-/NVP-based regimens, 32 (11.5% [95%CI: 8.0-15.9]) experienced VF. Failing and non-failing patients had comparable median time [interquartile] on ART (69.5 [23.0-89.5] vs 64.0 [34.0-99.0] months; P = .46, Mann-Whitney U-test). Of the 27 viraemic isolates successfully genotyped, 20 (74.1%) carried DR mutations; most frequent were M184VI (55.6%), K103N (37.1%), thymidine analog mutations (29.6%), Y181CY (22.2%). The pattern of mutations did not always correspond to the ongoing treatment. The adjusted odds of VF was significantly associated with the decentralized clinic site (P < .001) and CD4 < 350 cells/mm³ (P < .006). Strong correlates of DR also included Saint-Louis (P < .009), CD4 < 350 cells/mm³ (P <. 001), and nevirapine-based therapies (comparator: efavirenz-based therapies; P < .027). In stratification analyses by site, higher rate of VF at Saint-Louis (20.5% [95%CI: 13.8-28.5] vs 4.0% [95%CI: 1.5-8.5] in Dakar) was associated with nevirapine-based therapies (OR = 3.34 [1.07-11.75], P = .038), self-reported missing doses (OR = 3.30 [1.13-10.24], P = .029), and medical appointments (OR = 2.91 [1.05-8.47], P = .039) in the last 1 and 12 months(s), respectively. The higher rate of DR at Saint-Louis (12.9% [95%CI: 7.6-20.1] vs 2.7% [95%CI: 0.7-6.7] in Dakar) was associated with nevirapine-based therapies (OR = 5.13 [1.12-37.35], P = .035).

Conclusion: At decentralized urban settings, there is need for enhanced virological monitoring and adherence support. HIV programs in Senegal should intensify early HIV diagnosis for effective test-and-treat. These interventions, in addition to the superiority of efavirenz-based therapies provide a favorable framework for transitioning to the recommended potent drug dolutegravir, thereby ensuring its long-term use.

Keywords: HIV-1 virological failure; Senegal; adherence; decentralization; drug resistance; efavirenz-based first-line ART; transition.