HIV MDR is still a relevant issue despite its dramatic drop over the years

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence and therapeutic relevance of drug resistance among isolates from ART-experienced HIV-1-infected patients over the past two decades in Italy. Methods: Dynamics of resistance to one, two and three or more antiretroviral classes were evaluated from 1999-2018. Virological success (VS) after the latest therapy switch was evaluated according to cumulative class resistance and cumulative genotypic susceptibility score (Stanford HIV_DB algorithm). Results: Among 13663 isolates (from 6739 patients), resistance to at least one drug class decreased sharply from 1999 to 2010 (<= 2001, 84.6%; 2010, 43.6%; P<0.001), then remained relatively constant at similar to 40% during 2010-18, with the proportion of resistance to three or more classes also stable (similar to 5%). After 2008, integrase inhibitor resistance slightly increased from 5.6% to 9.7% in 2018 and contributed to resistance, particularly in isolates with resistance to three or more classes (one class, 8.4%; two classes, 15.3%; three or more classes, 34.7%, P < 0.001). Among 1827 failing patients with an available follow-up, by 1 year after genotype-guided therapy start the probability of VS was 87.6%. Patients with cumulative resistance to three or more classes and receiving a poorly active regimen showed the lowest probability (62.6%) of VS (P < 0.001) compared with all other patients (>= 81.8%). By Cox regression analysis, cumulative MDR and receiving poorly active antiretroviral regimens were associated with a lower hazard of VS compared with those without resistance. Conclusions: A dramatic drop of HIV-1 drug resistance at failure has been achieved over the last two decades in Italy; resistance to three or more classes is low but present among currently failing patients. Its management still requires a rational and careful diagnostic and therapeutic approach.