Do patients who are infected with drug-resistant HIV have a different CD4 cell decline after seroconversion? An exploratory analysis in the UK Register of HIV Serovonverters

Using data from the UK Register of HIV Seroconverters, we compared the rate of CD4 cell decline in antiretroviral-naive individuals with and without evidence of transmitted drug resistance (TDR). Although there was a suggestion that CD4 cell decline in the first year after seroconversion was faster in those with TDR, there was no evidence of a difference in the rate of decline thereafter. The virological and host determinants of this possible phenomenon are worth further exploration.