Molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 clades in Southern Brazil

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clades B and C account for more than 60% of the HIV-1 infections world-wide. In this paper, we describe the profiles of patients infected with subtypes of HIV-1 from the state of Paraná, Southern Brazil, and correlate them with demographic and epidemiological findings. A retrospective analysis of HIV cases reported from 1999–2007 was also performed. Data from 293 patients were reviewed and 245 were older than 13 (58% female). The distribution of clades was as follows: B 140 (57%), C 67 (23%), F 24 (10%) and mosaic or unique recombinant forms (URFs) 24 (10%). Of the 48 patients younger than 13 years of age (62.5% male), vertical transmission occurred in 46 and the distribution of clades was as follows: B 14 (29%), C 24 (50%), F 7 (15%) and URFs 6 (13%). There was no significant difference in mortality between HIV-1 subtypes. In both groups, patients infected with clade C tended to have higher rates of injection drug use exposure risk.

Profile of HIV subtypes in HIV/HBV- and HIV/HCV-coinfected patients in Southern Brazil

“…A previous study conducted in southern Brazil have reported that subtype C is more prevalent in the heterosexual population, whereas subtype B is more prevalent in men who have sex with men (MSM) and men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) 6 . This greater predisposition of heterosexual transmission of subtype C compared with other subtypes seems to be related to the stronger preference for the female genital mucosa, which may also enable vertical transmission 15 .…”

“…With regard to the distribution by gender, age, the risk of contamination, and sexual behavior, HIV subtype prevalence in Curitiba shows a higher frequency of subtype B (55%), followed by subtype C (30%), subtype F (7.5%), and CRFs (7.5%) 6 . However, in the present study, the distribution of HIV-1 subtypes found in coinfected patients was different from that reported, with a higher predominance of subtype C among these patients, and determining the effect of HIV-1 subtypes in the context of coinfection remains a challenge.…”

“…In recent years, several HIV-1 recombinant forms, mainly BF1 and BC subtypes, have frequently been reported 6 . This viral diversity, albeit controversial, may have some effect on transmission patterns, pathogenicity, therapy, and immune response.…”

Contribution of Epidemiological Predictors in Unraveling the Phylogeographic History of HIV-1 Subtype C in Brazil

“…Whereas in POA, the association between men having sex with men (MSM) and HIV-1B disappeared in more recent sampling because of an expansion of HIV-1C in heterosexual (HET) and MSM groups (45), compartmentalized epidemics are still observed in other cities in the southern region, including Paraná, which could be explained by later introduction of HIV-1C (4,(46)(47)(48).…”

Genotypical diversity of HIV clades and central nervous system impairment

“…Subtype B is prevalent in the west Europe, America and Oceania 2 . In Brazil, there is clear predominance of subtype B 9 . Data suggest that subtype C is more frequently transmitted than subtype B. Subtype C predominance in actual epidemic might be related to a lower virulence and a greater efficient transmission of this subtype compared to other M subtype groups.…”