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 infection; 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 associated 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 RNA levels, and nucleic acid sequence analysis for drug-resistant mutations and 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 States in 24%. Seven patients (7.4%) had subtype E infection ; the remainder had subtype B infection. Eight of 31 (26%) treatment-naive patients had mutations in the reverse transcriptase or protease gene associated with drug resistance. Conclusions: The percentage of HIV-1 non-subtype B infection and antiretroviral drug-resistant mutations was relatively high in U.S. military personnel with recently acquired HIV-1 infection.