Response of Ethiopian human immunodeficiency virus type 1 isolates to antiviral compounds.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates of 8 Ethiopian and 8 Swedish untreated AIDS-patients were examined for their sensitivity to 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT), 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (ddI) and leukocyte-derived interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). No significant difference in drug sensitivity was found between Ethiopian and Swedish isolates, which all were sensitive to AZT, ddI and IFN-alpha except for one Swedish isolate. This isolate exhibited a mutation at amino acid position 215. These results suggest that it should be possible to perform clinical trials in Ethiopia using the same dose regimens as in Sweden.