Author/Editor		Lunar, Maja M; Zidovec-Lepej, Snježana; Abecasis, Ana B; Tomažič, Janez; Vidmar, Ludvik; Karner, Primož; Vovko, Tomaž D; Pečavar, Blaž; Maver, Polona J; Seme, Katja; Poljak, Mario
Title		Prevalence of HIV-1 transmitted drug resistance in Slovenia: 2005-2010
Type		članek
Source		AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses
Publication year		2012
Language		eng
Abstract		Slovenia is a small European country with a total of 547 HIV-infected individuals cumulatively reported by the end of 2011. However, the estimated incidence rate of HIV-infections increased from 7.0 per million in 2003 to 26.8 per million in 2011. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of transmitted drug resistance (TDR) in the past six years (2005-2010) and analyzed the time trend of the proportion of men having sex with men (MSM) and HIV-1 subtype B among newly diagnosed individuals in a 15-year period (1996-2010) in Slovenia. Among 150 patients included in the study, representing 63% of HIV-1 newly diagnosed patients in 2005-2010, TDR was found in 7 patients (4.7%). The prevalence of TDR to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors was 2% (3/150), 2% (3/150) and 0.7% (1/150), respectively. The majority of patients were infected with subtype B (134/150, 89%), while subtype A was detected in 6.0% (9/150), subtype D in 1.3% (2/150) and subtype G and CRF02_AG in 0.7% (1 patient each). Three of 150 sequences could not be typed. Infection with subtype B was found significantly associated with male gender, Slovenia being reported as the country of the patient's nationality and origin of the virus, CDC class A, mode of transmission with homo/bisexual contact, sex with an anonymous person and a higher CD4+ count. Among patients carrying subtype B virus, a MSM transmission route was reported in 87% of patients. Although the prevalence of TDR in Slovenia is still below the European average, active surveillance should be continued, especially among MSM, the most vulnerable population for HIV-1 infection in this part of the Europe.
Descriptors		HIV-1 HIV INFECTIONS PREVALENCE DRUG RESISTANCE, MICROBIAL SLOVENIA