Natalia Marlowe

Performance of the Celera Diagnostics ViroSeq HIV-1 Genotyping System for Sequence-Based Analysis of Diverse Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Strains

ABSTRACT The Celera Diagnostics ViroSeq HIV-1 Genotyping System is a Food and Drug Administration-cleared, integrated system for sequence-based analysis of drug resistance mutations in subtype B human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease and reverse transcriptase (RT). We evaluated the performance of this system for the analysis of diverse HIV-1 strains. Plasma samples were obtained from 126 individuals from Uganda, Cameroon, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, and Thailand with viral loads ranging from 2.92 to >6.0 log10 copies/ml. HIV-1 genotyping was performed with the ViroSeq system. HIV-1 subtyping was performed by using phylogenetic methods. PCR products suitable for sequencing were obtained for 125 (99%) of the 126 samples. Genotypes including protease (amino acids 1 to 99) and RT (amino acids 1 to 321) were obtained for 124 (98%) of the samples. Full bidirectional sequence data were obtained for 95 of those samples. The sequences were categorized into the following subtypes: A1/A2 (16 samples), B (12 samples), C (13 samples), D (11 samples), CRF01_AE (9 samples), F/F2 (9 samples), G (7 samples), CRF02_AG (32 samples), H (1 sample), and intersubtype recombinant (14 samples). The performances of the individual sequencing primers were examined. Genotyping of duplicate samples in a second laboratory was successful for 124 of the 126 samples. The identity level for the sequence data from two laboratories ranged from 98 to 100% (median, 99.8%). The ViroSeq system performs well for the analysis of plasma samples with diverse non-B subtypes. The availability of this genotyping system should facilitate studies of HIV-1 drug resistance in non-subtype B strains of HIV-1.

Predictive Value of HIV-1 Genotypic Resistance Test Interpretation Algorithms

BACKGROUND Interpreting human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genotypic drug-resistance test results is challenging for clinicians treating HIV-1-infected patients. Multiple drug-resistance interpretation algorithms have been developed, but their predictive value has rarely been evaluated using contemporary clinical data sets. METHODS We examined the predictive value of 4 algorithms at predicting virologic response (VR) during 734 treatment-change episodes (TCEs). VR was defined as attaining plasma HIV-1 RNA levels below the limit of quantification. Drug-specific genotypic susceptibility scores (GSSs) were calculated by applying each algorithm to the baseline genotype. Weighted GSSs were calculated by multiplying drug-specific GSSs by antiretroviral (ARV) potency factors. Regimen-specific GSSs (rGSSs) were calculated by adding unweighted or weighted drug-specific GSSs for each salvage therapy ARV. The predictive value of rGSSs were estimated by use of multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS Of 734 TCEs, 475 (65%) were associated with VR. The rGSSs for the 4 algorithms were the variables most strongly predictive of VR. The adjusted rGSS odds ratios ranged from 1.6 to 2.2 (P < .001). Using 10-fold cross-validation, the averaged area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for all algorithms increased from 0.76 with unweighted rGSSs to 0.80 with weighted rGSSs. CONCLUSIONS Unweighted and weighted rGSSs of 4 genotypic resistance algorithms were the strongest independent predictors of VR. Optimizing ARV weighting may further improve VR predictions.

Analysis of pol integrase sequences in diverse HIV type 1 strains using a prototype genotyping assay.

A prototype assay was used to genotype integrase (IN) from 120 HIV-1- infected IN inhibitor-naive adults from Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, South Africa, Thailand, and Uganda. Subtype designations based on analysis of pol IN sequences were A (14), B (15), C (12), D (11), F (12), G (7), H (1), CRF01_AE (9), CRF02_AG (34), CRF22_01A1 (4), and CRF37_cpx (1). Ten (8.3%) of 120 samples had mutations associated with reduced susceptibility to the IN inhibitors, raltegravir and elvitegravir. Two samples had E92Q (both subtype B) and eight had E157Q (2A, 1C, 1D, 1F, 3 CRF02_AG). Some samples had other mutations selected by these drugs including T97A, and some had amino acid polymorphisms at positions associated with raltegravir and elvitegravir resistance. Mutations associated with other investigational HIV IN inhibitors were also identified. This suggests that HIV strains may vary in their natural susceptibility to HIV IN inhibitors.

Comparison of Laboratory Methods for Analysis of Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor Resistance in Ugandan Infants

Detailed comparisons of HIV drug resistance assays are needed to identify the most useful assays for research studies, and to facilitate comparison of results from studies that use different methods. We analyzed nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) resistance in 40 HIV-infected Ugandan infants who had received nevirapine (NVP)-based prophylaxis using the following assays: an FDA-cleared HIV genotyping assay (the ViroSeq HIV-1 Genotyping System v2.0), a commercially available HIV genotyping assay (GeneSeq HIV), a commercially available HIV phenotyping assay (PhenoSense HIV), and a sensitive point mutation assay (LigAmp). ViroSeq and GeneSeq HIV results (NVP resistance yes/no) were similar for 38 (95%) of 40 samples. In 6 (15%) of 40 samples, GeneSeq HIV detected mutations in minor subpopulations that were not detected by ViroSeq, which identified two additional infants with NVP resistance. LigAmp detected low-level mutations in 12 samples that were not detected by ViroSeq; however, LigAmp testing identified only one additional infant with NVP resistance. GeneSeq HIV and PhenoSense HIV determinations of susceptibility differed for specific NNRTIs in 12 (31%) of the 39 samples containing mixtures at relevant mutation positions. PhenoSense HIV did not detect any infants with NVP resistance who were not identified with GeneSeq HIV testing. In this setting, population sequencing-based methods (ViroSeq and GeneSeq HIV) were the most informative and had concordant results for 95% of the samples. LigAmp was useful for the detection and quantification of minority variants. PhenoSense HIV provided a direct and quantitative measure of NNRTI susceptibility.

Analysis of HIV Type 1 gp41 and Enfuvirtide Susceptibility among Men in the United States Who Were HIV Infected Prior to Availability of HIV Entry Inhibitors

We analyzed HIV gp41 from 195 men in the United States who were HIV-1 infected between 1999 and 2002, before enfuvirtide (ENF) was approved for clinical use in the United States. gp41 genotyping results were obtained for 175 samples. None of the samples had major ENF resistance mutations. Six (3.4%) samples had minor ENF resistance mutations in the HR1 region (V38G, N43K, L44M, L45M). Twenty-eight (16%) samples had the N42S polymorphism, which is associated with ENF hypersusceptibility. Accessory mutations in the HR2 region were identified in some samples (E137K, S138A). Five of the six samples with HR1 resistance mutations were analyzed with a phenotypic assay; one sample had reduced ENF susceptibility (a sample with N42S +L44M + E137K). Prior to the availability of ENF, some men in the United States were infected with HIV that contained mutations associated with ENF resistance or hypersusceptibility. However, most of the mutations were not associated with phenotypic ENF resistance.

Validation of a Screening Tool for the Rapid and Reliable Detection of CGG Trinucleotide Repeat Expansions in FMR1

AIMS Most individuals with intellectual disability and/or autism are tested for Fragile X syndrome at some point in their lifetime. Greater than 99% of individuals with Fragile X have an expanded CGG trinucleotide repeat motif in the promoter region of the FMR1 gene, and diagnostic testing involves determining the size of the CGG repeat as well as methylation status when an expansion is present. RESULTS Using a previously described triplet repeat-primed polymerase chain reaction, we have performed additional validation studies using two cohorts with previous diagnostic testing results available for comparison purposes. The first cohort (n=88) consisted of both males and females and had a high percentage of abnormal samples, while the second cohort (n=624) consisted of only females and was not enriched for expansion mutations. Data from each cohort were completely concordant with the results previously obtained during the course of diagnostic testing. CONCLUSIONS This study further demonstrates the utility of using laboratory-developed triplet repeat-primed FMR1 testing in a clinical setting.