High HIV-1 Genetic Diversity in Patients from Northern Brazil

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2016 Sep;32(9):918-22. doi: 10.1089/AID.2016.0044. Epub 2016 May 11.

Abstract

The HIV-1 epidemic in Brazil is driven by subtypes B, F1, and C and recombinants forms among those subtypes. The distribution of HIV-1 subtypes, however, may vary across different Brazilian regions and the molecular epidemiologic profile in Northern Brazil remains poorly explored. HIV-1 pol sequences were obtained from 305 patients failing antiretroviral therapy followed at outpatient clinics from five Northern Brazilian states. The most prevalent HIV-1 clade observed in the Northern Brazilian region was subtype B (81%), followed by BF1 recombinants (10%), subtype F1 (4%), subtype C (3%), BC recombinants (2%), and BU recombinants (1%). Although HIV-1 subtype B was the predominant HIV-1 clade in Northern Brazil, its prevalence greatly varies among different states, ranging from 63% in Rondônia to 92% in Acre. Among the 37 HIV-1 recombinant sequences detected in the Northern Brazilian region, nine (24%) displayed a unique recombinant form structure, five (14%) a CRF28/29_BF-like structure, and four (11%) a CRF31_BC-like structure. Two other BF1 recombinant patterns were identified in 16 (43%) and three (8%) samples that may correspond to two potentially new CRFs_BF characteristic of the Northern region. This study reveals that despite the low spatial connectivity with other Brazilian regions, the genetic complexity of the HIV-1 epidemic in Northern Brazil is very high and that the molecular epidemiologic pattern may vary across different northern states, reflecting a complex epidemic with multiple independent viral introductions into this Brazilian region.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Genetic Variation*
  • Genotype
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology
  • HIV Infections / virology*
  • HIV-1 / classification*
  • HIV-1 / genetics*
  • HIV-1 / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / genetics

Substances

  • pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus