Method for measuring resistance of a patient HIV-2 to protease inhibitors

Abstract

A search method in a biological sample containing an HIV-2 viral strain for possible resistance of said strain to treatment by an anti-protease agent, and nucleotide probes for the implementation thereof. According to methods known per se, the presence of at least one mutation at certain, specified, particular positions of the proteinic sequence of the protease of said viral strain from a biological sample taken from a patient contaminated by HIV-2 is searched. If said mutation is observed, the existence of a resistance to said anti-protease agent is assumed in the patient.

1 . A method for testing, in a biological sample from a patient infected by HIV-2 containing at least one HIV-2 viral strain, the resistance of said HIV-2 viral strain to treatment with an antiprotease agent, comprising investigating the presence of a mutation at position 46 of the protein sequence of the protease of said viral strain, said mutation having previously been found to elicit said resistance, and if such a mutation is found, concluding that a viral strain resistant to said antiprotease agent is present in the patient in question. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) the presence of a mutation at position 46 of the protein sequence of the protease of said viral strain in a biological sample taken from a patient infected with HIV-2 is investigated,   b) a mutation found in a) which, after cloning in an HIV-2 virus, does not prevent the virus clone obtained from multiplying in culture in the presence of said antiprotease drug is selected, and   c) if the mutation is selected at step b), it is concluded that resistance exists to the antiprotease drug referred to in b).   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the presence of the mutation I46V, in the protein sequence of the protease to said viral strain is investigated and in which said resistance is concluded to exist if said mutation is present. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, to detect a mutation of the protein sequence of the protease, a corresponding mutation is sought in the nucleotide sequence of the gene of said protease. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein said test is carried out using hybridization techniques. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein said test is carried out using sequencing techniques. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said mutation in the sequence of the gene corresponds to I46V. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said mutation corresponds to a codon for position 46, which is GTA, instead of ATA. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , said method further comprising investigating the presence of at least one additional mutation at one or more of positions 10, 45, 54, 64, 82, 84 and 90 of the protein sequence of the protease of said viral strain. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one additional mutation is selected from the following mutations: V10I, K45R, 154M, I64V, I82M, I84L, and L90M. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein, to detect the at least one additional mutation of the protein sequence of the protease, at least one corresponding mutation is sought in the nucleotide sequence of the gene of said protease. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said additional mutation is at said position 10. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said additional mutation is at said position 45. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said additional mutation is at said position 82. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said additional mutation is at said position 54. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said additional mutation is at said position 64. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said additional mutation is at said position 84. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said additional mutation corresponds to a condon for position 45, which is AGA, instead of AAA. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said additional mutation corresponds to a condon for position 54, which is ATG, instead of ATA. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said additional mutation corresponds to a condon for position 64, which is GTA, instead of ATA. 
     
     
         21 . A nucleotide probe usable in the method according to  claim 1 , comprising, as a minimum sequence, a sequence selected from the group consisting of:
 a) AAA GTA GTA   possibly supplemented by the nucleotide sequence of an adjacent region of the gene of said protease, on either side of the minimum sequence,
 b) a nucleotide sequence equivalent to a sequence defined in (a), and 
 c) a sequence complementary to a sequence defined in (a) or in (b).