A single-loop recombinant pseudotyped-virus-based assay to detect HIV-1 phenotypic resistance.

HIV/AIDS is a leading public health concern throughout the world. Currently, treatment of HIV/AIDS still depends on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART); however, there is increasing evidence showing the emergence of resistance to antiretroviral drugs in HIV-1 strains, making ART less effective over time. Intensive monitoring of HIV-1 drug resistance is therefore of great importance to evaluate the current sensitivity of antiretroviral agents and is urgently needed. The aim of this study was to develop a single-loop recombinant pseudotyped-virus-based assay to detect phenotypic resistance in clinical HIV-1 strains. HIV-1 RNA was extracted from HIV-1-infected human plasma samples, and an approximately 3-kb fragment containing p7/p1/p6 cleavage sites and full-length protease (PR), reverse transcriptase (RT), thermonuclease (TNase), and integrase (1-280 aa) genes was amplified by nested RT-PCR. A retroviral vector was constructed using the HIV-1 infectious molecular clone pLWJ to test antiretroviral drug susceptibility. pLWJ-SV40-Luc contained a luciferase expression cassette inserted within a deleted region of the envelope (env) gene as an indicator gene. Resistance test vectors (RTVs) were constructed by incorporating amplified target genes into pLWJ-SV40-Luc by using ApaI or AgeI and AarI restriction sites and conventional cloning methods. The virus stocks used for drug susceptibility test were produced by co-transfecting 293T cells with RTVs and a plasmid that provided vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G). Viral replication was monitored by measuring luciferase activity in infected target cells at approximately 48 h postinfection. A total of 35 clinical plasma samples from HIV-1-infected humans were tested, and target fragments were successfully amplified from 34 samples (97.1 %) and 33 RTVs were successfully constructed by directional cloning, with an overall success rate of 94.3 %. A clear-cut dose-dependent relationship was detected between virus production and luciferase activity in the constructed phenotypic resistance testing system. The highest coefficient of determination (R(2)) was found between luciferase activity and drug concentration and viral inhibition at 293T cell concentrations of 5 × 10(4) cells per well. The phenotypic profiles of the viruses from 29 clinical samples almost completely matched the observed genotypes. The results demonstrate that a single-loop recombinant pseudotyped-virus-based assay was successfully developed, and this testing system has high stability and appears to be applicable for testing phenotypic resistance of clinical HIV-1 strains to commonly used antiretroviral agents.