Genetic characterization of complex inter-recombinant HIV-1 strains circulating in Spain and reliability of distinct rapid subtyping tools

J Med Virol. 2008 Mar;80(3):383-91. doi: 10.1002/jmv.21105.

Abstract

Genetic recombination and high rate of mutation increase HIV-1 diversity, allowing viruses to escape more easily from the host immune response or antiretroviral drugs. The recombinant nature of full-length HIV-1 genomic sequences derived from viruses infecting five epidemiologically unlinked individuals carrying HIV-1 non-B variants was investigated. Overlapping PCR amplifications followed by direct sequencing of viral products derived from plasma and phylogenetic analyses were carried out. Four viral sequences clustered with CRF06_cpx and one with CRF02_AG. However, subtyping of separate genes within the same genome revealed that four were recombinant forms involving different subtypes and/or CRFs with distinct breakpoints. Two specimens included CRF02_AG and CRF06_cpx sequences with several fragments from other HIV-1 clades along their genomes. Three rapid subtyping tools (Stanford, NCBI, and REGA) showed discrepant results when interpreting these viral sequences. This is the first description of CRF02_AG/CRF06_ cpx recombinants in Spain. The results highlight the tremendous heterogeneity of HIV-1 recombinant strains currently in circulation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-HIV Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use*
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • Drug Resistance, Viral
  • Female
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genome, Viral
  • Genotype
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / virology*
  • HIV-1 / classification
  • HIV-1 / drug effects
  • HIV-1 / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mutation
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Recombination, Genetic*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Spain

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents