The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Russia is among the fastest growing in the world. HIV epidemic burden is non-uniform in different Russian regions and diverse key populations. An explosive epidemic has been documented among people who inject drugs (PWID) starting from the mid-1990s, whereas presently, the majority of new infections are linked to sexual transmission. Nationwide, HIV sub-subtype A6 (previously called AFSU) predominates, with the increasing presence of other subtypes, namely subtype B and CRF063_02A. This study explores HIV subtype B sequences from St. Petersburg, collected from 2006 to 2020, in order to phylogenetically investigate and characterize transmission clusters, focusing on their evolutionary dynamics and potential for further growth, along with a socio-demographic analysis of the available metadata. In total, 54% (107/198) of analyzed subtype B sequences were found grouped in 17 clusters, with four transmission clusters with the number of sequences above 10. Using Bayesian MCMC inference, tMRCA of HIV-1 subtype B was estimated to be around 1986 (95% HPD 1984–1991), whereas the estimated temporal origin for the four large clusters was found to be more recent, between 2001 and 2005. The results of our study imply a complex pattern of the epidemic spread of HIV subtype B in St. Petersburg, Russia, still in the exponential growth phase, and in connection to the men who have sex with men (MSM) transmission, providing a useful insight needed for the design of public health priorities and interventions.
Objective. To assess the time-related changes in the titer of virus neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with HIV infection within 6 months after experienced COVID-19, and to identify factors associated with the intensity and duration of the natural humoral immune response.Materials and Methods. А prospective study was performed in 102 HIV-infected patients who had COVID-19 without previous vaccination, the titer of virus neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 was identified by microneutralization assay using the standard method, the follow-up period was 6 months. Patients were enrolled in St. Petersburg from October 2020 to January 2022. The possible impact of clinical and laboratory characteristics of HIV infection and the severity of COVID-19 on antibody titer was assessed.Results and discussion. А high antibody titer (>1:160) was detected at 1 month in 15 patients (14.7%), at 3 months — in 5 of 44 patients; at 6 months — in 3 of 26 patients. There was a statistically significant positive correlation of the titer at 1 month with an undetectable HIV viral load and the Cd4+lymphocytes count in the blood. Cases of a late increase in antibody titer (after 3 and 6 months) were registered without COVID-19 re-infection along with improvement of the immune status on antiretroviral therapy.Conclusion. А low incidence of effective humoral immune response 1 month after COVID-19 infection was demonstrated in HIV-infected patients without vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Single cases of delay in antibody titer increase with an immune status improvement were observed.
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