An HIV Type 1 Epidemic among Injecting Drug Users in the Former Soviet Union Caused by a Homogeneous Subtype A Strain

Abstract

Epidemiological data have demonstrated rapid growth of HIV-1 infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) in the Ukraine and Russia, during 1996. Here we describe the results of genetic analysis of isolates derived from 12 HIV-1-infected IDUs in different sites of Russia and the Ukraine. The blood samples were taken within a 1- to 2-month period after the first HIV-1-positive test. The results of the heteroduplex mobility assay as well as gag/env phylogenetic analysis reveal that all sequences belong to gag/env genetic subtype A. Moreover, interpatient genetic distances between the nucleotide sequences encompassing the C2-V3, the V4-V5, and p17-encoding regions within this group were low (the average means were 0.9, 1.3, and 0.4%, respectively). These data show a marked homogeneity of HIV-1, probably spreading during primary infection. It is possible that the current epidemic of subtype A HIV-1 among IDUs in the former Soviet Union is caused by a point source exposure.

Unequal Evolutionary Rates in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Pandemic: the Evolutionary Rate of HIV-1 Slows Down When the Epidemic Rate Increases

“…Until 1995, countries of the FSU experienced only a few hundred cases of HIV-1 infection, most of which were associated with sexual transmissions. The first outbreaks of HIV-1 among IDUs in the FSU were reported in 1995 in southern Ukraine (48), followed by rapid spread of the virus in this risk group in the Russian Federation (3,5) and its neighboring countries Belarus and the Republic of Moldova in 1996 (41,50). In 1997, the virus had spread to the Baltic region, inducing a fast-growing epidemic among IDUs in Latvia and later Estonia (2,15,64).…”

Diversity of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Subtype A and CRF03_AB Protease in Eastern Europe: Selection of the V77I Variant and Its Rapid Spread in Injecting Drug User Populations

“…Blood samples were derived from 27 IDUs, aged 17 to 32, diagnosed as HIV positive in the period from 1996 to 2002 in the Russian Federation (n ϭ 21), the Ukraine (n ϭ 3), and Kazakhstan (n ϭ 3). All blood samples were obtained with informed consent and under approved human use protocols and were genotyped by using gag/env HMA and sequencing as described previously (4,11,17). Of the 27 virus samples examined, 23 belonged to HIV-1 genetic subtype A, typical of IDU populations in Eastern Europe (4,7), and 4 were the CRF03AB recombinant form (5,25,26).…”

“…At present, within the territory of the Russian Federation and a number of other former Soviet Union republics (the Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan) HIV-1 subtype A variants predominate, circulating among injecting drug users (IDUs) and their sexual partners (3,6,7,23,25,27,31,32,34 (4,5,25). To obtain such information, we analyzed HIV-1 genetic variants, along with conventional sequencing, by using oligonucleotide microarrays that have already been proven to be used as a diagnostic tool for identifying nucleic acid polymorphisms (24,29,41).…”

Short Communication: Phylogenetic Characterization of HIV Type 1 CRF01_AE V3 Envelope Sequences in Pregnant Women in Northern Vietnam

“…This would be expected to be associated with a greater degree of evolution than the rapid spread associated with intravenous drug use. 32,33 Thus it has been shown that HIV-1 evolves less among intravenous drug users than among heterosexuals. 32 This has also been observed in the context of CRF01_AE in northern Vietnam and Southern China since the 1990s to more recently.…”

“…32,33 Thus it has been shown that HIV-1 evolves less among intravenous drug users than among heterosexuals. 32 This has also been observed in the context of CRF01_AE in northern Vietnam and Southern China since the 1990s to more recently. 5,6,21,30 The analysis of synonymous and nonsynonymous nucleotide changes indicated that the maternal sequences had evolved when comparing them to the older sequences from northern Vietnam.…”