HIV‐1 genetic variants in Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

Objectives: During the last two decades, HIV-1 has been spreading rapidly in former Soviet Union republics including Kyrgyzstan. The current molecular monitoring of HIV-infection epidemic is carried out in Russia only with no or limited data from the other FSU countries. The aim of this work was to investigate the prevalence of HIV-1 genetic variants circulating in Kyrgyzstan. Methods: Blood collection from the HIV-infected patients was carried out by local specialists with the informed consent and the questionnaire was answered by each of the patients. The total number of samples was 100. The washed cell pellets were transferred to Moscow following with proviral DNA extraction, PCR amplification and gag, pol and env genes sequencing. The phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences using neighbor-joining method was carried out by MEGA 3 program. The preliminary data were obtained in 22 samples isolated from PBMC of HIV-infected patients from Kyrgyzstan. Results: Among the samples studied 6 (27.3%) samples belonged to a subtype CRF02_AG, 16 samples - to subtype A (A1). One of the samples belonging to CRF02_AG, probably, is a recombinant between CRF02_AG and A1. There was no major drug resistance mutations in the samples studied. The minor mutations were presented in small proportions: 1 in PR (L10I), 6 in RT (A62V - in 3 samples, V108G, E138A, Y181F, M184I, L210M - on one sample) and 1 in IN (L74M). It was impossible to associate the distribution of mutations with HIV-1 genetic variant. The V3 loop (env gene) in 17 samples was analyzed for tropism using geno2pheno program; all samples were found to be R5-viruses. Conclusion: The HIV-1 subtype A seems to dominate in Kyrgyzstan like in other FSU countries. The recombinant CRF02_AG epidemiologically linked to Uzbekistan is quite widespread. The rest of Kyrgyzstan collection is under investigation and the data will be refined soon

Short Communication: Molecular Epidemiology of HIV Type 1 Infection in Kazakhstan: CRF02_AG Prevalence Is Increasing in the Southeastern Provinces

“…The genetic variants commonly found in China have long been expected in Russia and other former USSR countries bordering China. Nevertheless, no traces of CRF07_BC have been observed until recently, for example, in the study of the Russian Far East region 21 that has close contact with China. It is possible that this finding may foreshadow some upcoming events in the HIV epidemic in Central Asia and other FSU countries.…”