Drug resistance mutations and phylogenetic analysis of HIV-1 subtypes B and F from mothers and children with vertical transmission.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to describe the transmission of drug-resistant HIV-1 variants and phylogenetic characterisation of viral strains in mother-child pairs from the cities of Recife and São Luís, located in the Northeast region of Brazil, in 2007-2022.

Methods: This study included 15 mother-child pairs with confirmed vertical transmission of HIV-1. The genotyping sequences were provided by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The analyses included descriptions of antiretroviral resistance mutation profiles of the mothers and children, subtype determination, and phylogenetic analyses.

Results: Seven mother-child pairs exhibited similar mutation profiles, with three showing no mutations and four displaying similar resistance mutations to the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) drug classes. Among four pairs, mutation similarities were observed for only one antiretroviral drug class. In the remaining four pairs, distinct mutation profiles were noted, with two children having mutations in two or three drug classes and their mothers exhibiting no or one mutation. Among the eight pairs with tests obtained within the first four years after birth, six of them had very similar mutation profiles. Among the seven pairs with exams obtained five years or more after birth, four pairs presented very different DRAM profiles. Mutations conferring resistance to efavirenz, nevirapine, lamivudine, abacavir, and didanosine were frequently observed in children and mothers. Thirteen pairs (86.6%) were identified as having HIV-1 subtype B, while two (13.3%) were identified as having HIV-1 subtype F1.

Conclusions: Differences in mutation profiles and antiretroviral resistance for NRTI and NNRTI drug classes were observed in half of the mother-child pairs, emphasising the importance of individualised therapeutic strategies.