Analysis of HIV-1 sequences before and after co-infecting syphilis

Abstract Increasing syphilis incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM) has been reported. The index case was a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-positive MSM who presented coincidentally with the secondary syphilis and a rebound of plasma viral load after complete suppression of HIV-1 (below 50 copies/ml) for 13 months with potent antiretroviral therapy (PART), suggesting a possibility of HIV-1 superinfection. We analyzed HIV-1 sequences before and after syphilis in four HIV-1-positive patients including the index case to explore drug resistance mutations (DRMs) and a possibility of HIV-1 superinfection. There were patients who obtained DRMs around syphilis infection but no evidence of HIV-1 superinfection was obtained. Our results underline the importance of strict adherence to PART.