The frequency of defective genes in vif and vpr genes in 20 hemophiliacs is associated with Korean Red Ginseng and highly active antiretroviral therapy: the impact of lethal mutations in vif and vpr genes on HIV-1 evolution

Background: We have reported that internal deletions in the nef, gag, and pol genes in HIV-1–infected patients are induced in those treated with Korean Red Ginseng (KRG). KRG delays the development of resistance mutations to antiretroviral drugs. Methods: The vif-vpr genes over 26 years in 20 hemophiliacs infected with HIV-1 from a single source were sequenced to investigate whether vif-vpr genes were affected by KRG and KRG plus highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART) (hereafter called GCT) and compared the results with our previous data. Results: A significantly higher number of in-frame small deletions were found in the vif-vpr genes of KRG-treated patients than at the baseline, in control patients, and in ART-alone patients (p