BACKGROUND: HIV-1 subtype B is largely predominant in the Caribbean, although other subtypes have been recently identified in Cuba. OBJECTIVES: To examine HIV-1 genetic diversity in Cuba. METHODS: The study enrolled 105 HIV-1-infected individuals, 93 of whom had acquired the infection in Cuba. DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells was used for polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of pol (protease-reverse transcriptase) and env (V3 region) segments. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using the neighbour-joining method. Intersubtype recombination was analysed by bootscanning. RESULTS: Of the samples, 50 (48%) were of subtype B and 55 (52%) of diverse non-B subtypes and recombinant forms. Among non-B viruses, 12 were non-recombinant, belonging to six subtypes (C, D, F1, G, H and J), the most frequent of which was subtype G (n = 5). The remaining 43 (78%) non-B viruses were recombinant, with 14 different forms, the two most common of which were Dpol/Aenv (n = 21) and U(unknown)pol/Henv (n = 7), which grouped in respective monophyletic clusters. Twelve recombinant viruses were mosaics of different genetic forms circulating in Cuba. Overall, 21 genetic forms were identified, with all known HIV-1 group M subtypes present in Cuba, either as non-recombinant viruses or as segments of recombinant forms. Non-B subtype viruses were predominant among heterosexuals (72%) and B subtype viruses among homo- or bisexuals (63%). CONCLUSION: An extraordinarily high diversity of HIV-1 genetic forms, unparalleled in the Americas and comparable to that found in Central Africa, is present in Cuba.
BACKGROUND:HIV-1 subtype B is largely predominant in the Caribbean, although other subtypes have been recently identified in Cuba. OBJECTIVES: To examine HIV-1 genetic diversity in Cuba. METHODS: The study enrolled 105 HIV-1-infected individuals, 93 of whom had acquired the infection in Cuba. DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells was used for polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of pol (protease-reverse transcriptase) and env (V3 region) segments. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using the neighbour-joining method. Intersubtype recombination was analysed by bootscanning. RESULTS: Of the samples, 50 (48%) were of subtype B and 55 (52%) of diverse non-B subtypes and recombinant forms. Among non-B viruses, 12 were non-recombinant, belonging to six subtypes (C, D, F1, G, H and J), the most frequent of which was subtype G (n = 5). The remaining 43 (78%) non-B viruses were recombinant, with 14 different forms, the two most common of which were Dpol/Aenv (n = 21) and U(unknown)pol/Henv (n = 7), which grouped in respective monophyletic clusters. Twelve recombinant viruses were mosaics of different genetic forms circulating in Cuba. Overall, 21 genetic forms were identified, with all known HIV-1 group M subtypes present in Cuba, either as non-recombinant viruses or as segments of recombinant forms. Non-B subtype viruses were predominant among heterosexuals (72%) and B subtype viruses among homo- or bisexuals (63%). CONCLUSION: An extraordinarily high diversity of HIV-1 genetic forms, unparalleled in the Americas and comparable to that found in Central Africa, is present in Cuba.
Authors: Krista Delviks-Frankenberry; Andrea Galli; Olga Nikolaitchik; Helene Mens; Vinay K Pathak; Wei-Shau Hu Journal: Viruses Date: 2011-09-09 Impact factor: 5.818
Authors: Dennis Maletich Junqueira; Rúbia Marília de Medeiros; Maria Cristina Cotta Matte; Leonardo Augusto Luvison Araújo; Jose Artur Bogo Chies; Patricia Ashton-Prolla; Sabrina Esteves de Matos Almeida Journal: PLoS One Date: 2011-11-23 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Isabel Inês M de Pina-Araujo; Monick L Guimarães; Gonzalo Bello; Ana Carolina P Vicente; Mariza G Morgado Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-04-24 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Bertine S Akouamba; Janique Viel; Hugues Charest; Natacha Merindol; Johanne Samson; Normand Lapointe; Bluma G Brenner; Richard Lalonde; P Richard Harrigan; Marc Boucher; Hugo Soudeyns Journal: Emerg Infect Dis Date: 2005-08 Impact factor: 6.883