OBJECTIVETo survey the prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance in patients newly diagnosed as HIV positive and who were younger than 25 years of age but had not received treatment with antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Hunan province.

METHODSSerum specimens of HIV infected individuals were collected and HIV-1 pol genetic mutations associated with drug resistance were identified with PCR and interpreted with Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database.

RESULTSA total number of 69 patients whose HIV sequences were amplified successfully with 2 (2.9%) specimens appeared mutations associated with HIV-1 drug resistance in the reverse transcriptase region, including one as V75M and the other one as K103N and V181C. Data showed that the prevalence of drug resistance in Hunan was 2.9%.

CONCLUSIONThe first line regiments of national ART seemed still effective. Most of the AIDS patients did not need to be tested on drug resistance status before starting ART. However, it is important to start HIV drug resistance surveillance in no time.