The L76V mutation in HIV-1 protease is potentially associated with hypersusceptibility to protease inhibitors Atazanavir and Saquinavir: is there a clinical advantage?

Abstract

Background: Although being considered as a rarely observed HIV-1 protease mutation in clinical isolates, the L76V-prevalence increased 1998-2008 in some European countries most likely due to the approval of Lopinavir, Amprenavir and Darunavir which can select L76V. Beside an enhancement of resistance, L76V is also discussed to confer hypersusceptibility to the drugs Atazanavir and Saquinavir which might enable new treatment strategies by trying to take advantage of particular mutations.

Results: Based on a cohort of 47 L76V-positive patients, we examined if there might exist a clinical advantage for L76V-positive patients concerning long-term success of PI-containing regimens in patients with limited therapy options.Genotypic- and phenotypic HIV-resistance tests from 47 mostly multi-resistant, L76V-positive patients throughout Germany were accomplished retrospectively 1999-2009. Five genotype-based drug-susceptibility predictions received from online interpretation-tools for Atazanavir, Saquinavir, Amprenavir and Lopinavir, were compared to phenotype-based predictions that were determined by using a recombinant virus assay along with a Virtual Phenotype™(Virco). The clinical outcome of the L76V-adapted follow-up therapy was determined by monitoring viral load for 96 weeks.

Conclusions: In this analysis, the mostly used interpretation systems overestimated the L76V-mutation concerning Atazanavir- and SQV resistance. In fact, a clear benefit in drug susceptibility for these drugs was observed in phenotype analysis after establishment of L76V. More importantly, long-term therapy success was significantly higher in patients receiving Atazanavir and/or Saquinavir plus one L76V-selecting drug compared to patients without L76V-selecting agents (p = 0.002).In case of L76V-occurrence ATV and/or SQV may represent encouraging options for patients in deep salvage situations.

Figure 1

Resensitizing effects of the L76V mutation are visible in phenotype results: Phenotypic resistance analysis before and after manifestation of L76V in two representative patients (A+B). Although additional mutations developed in the progress of therapy (bold characters) the resistance factor for ATV and SQV decreased below the cut-off for full susceptibility in both patients compared to analyses one year before. Antiretroviral drugs are illustrated with corresponding resistance factors (cut-off: 0-3.5 = sensitive 3.6-9.5 (29 for LPV) = intermediate; >9.0 (29 for LPV) = resistant). Genotypic resistance interpretations derived from five common online tools showed considerable discrepancies in weighting of ATV and SQV resistance levels compared to each other and to phenotypic results (grey and white colour). A) One patient with failing APV containing therapy after week 72. B) Another patient with a failing IDV/LPV treatment before start of SQV containing therapy.

Figure 2

The "resensitizing" effect of 76V could be observed in a variety of other patients before start of PI-containing therapy. Genotypic and phenotypic data of 10 representative PI-experienced patients were analysed by using five common resistance interpretation systems Stanford HIVdb 4.3.6; REGA v7.1.1, HIV-Grade 04/2008, ANRS 10/2007 and geno2pheno. Genotypic resistance results were compared to phenotypic resistance results derived from recombinant virus assay results and/or Virtual Phenotype™ analysis (Virco).

Figure 3

Clinical outcome and suppression of viral load in a time frame of 96 weeks of follow-up therapy (illustrated as box plot figure). Median viral loads are illustrated in bold lines in between the upper- and lower quartile. Group B (ATV and/or SQV plus LPV or APV containing treatment) show a higher long-term success rate after 96 weeks of follow-up therapy in comparison to group A (ATV and or SQV without L76V-selecting drug).

Figure 4

Inclusion criterion for the retrospective analysis of 47 L76V-positive patients.