Acquisition and transmission of HIV-1 among migrants and Chinese in Guangzhou, China from 2008 to 2012: Phylogenetic analysis of surveillance data

• Published in: Infection, genetics and evolution Vol. 92; p. 104870
• Main Authors: Yan, Huanchang, Wu, Hao, Xia, Yonghe, Huang, Liping, Liang, Yuanhao, Li, Qingmei, Chen, Ling, Han, Zhigang, Tang, Shixing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.08.2021
• Subjects: Adult; Ancestral construction; China; Cities; Cluster analysis; drug resistance; Female; HIV infections; HIV Infections - transmission; HIV-1; HIV-1 - classification; HIV-1 - physiology; Humans; Immigrant; infection; Male; males; Middle Aged; monitoring; odds ratio; Phylogeny; provenance; regression analysis; Transients and Migrants - statistics & numerical data; Transmission network; Young Adult; China; Cities; HIV-1; Cluster analysis; Ancestral construction; Immigrant; Transmission network
• ISSN: 1567-1348; 1567-7257; 1567-7257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104870

Post-migration infection and domestic transmission of HIV-1 between immigrants and local population are critical for the HIV epidemic, but have not been addressed thus far in China. Transmission clusters were analyzed with two cluster reconstruction methods, HIV-TRACE and Cluster Picker, using 1695 HIV-1 pol sequences obtained from 139 HIV-infected foreigners and 1556 Chinese natives in Guangzhou, China from 2008 to 2012. The geographic origin of the HIV-1 sequences was further determined by PastML while the factors associated with recent HIV-1 transmission were documented by logistic regression analysis. HIV-1 genotypes that are prevalent in African and East Asian countries were identified in HIV-infected Chinese subjects and vice versa. In addition, more NRTI drug resistance mutations were found in HIV-infected foreigners than in native Chinese (p < 0.001). HIV-1 transmission between HIV-infected foreigners and native Chinese individuals was documented in 12.95% (18/139) of the HIV-infected foreigners. Furthermore, Asian (odds ratio [OR] = 3.45), male (OR = 16.88) and those with known HIV-1 infection routes (OR = 3.23) were more likely associated with recent HIV-1 transmission in China. The Chinese natives linked to recent HIV-1 transmission were more likely to be infected through men who have sex with men (OR = 3.05) or people who inject drugs (OR = 3.05), rather than by heterosexual transmission. Our study demonstrates the impact of recent HIV-1 transmission between HIV-infected foreigners and Chinese natives on the HIV-1 epidemic in Guangzhou, China. Moreover, the results highlight the importance of phylogenetic analysis of HIV-1 surveillance data and the need for specific prevention strategies that target the immigrant population. •The introduction of HIV-1 clades from foreign immigrants increased genetic diversity of HIV-1 in China.•12.95% of HIV-infected foreigners involved in the recent HIV-1 transmission with local Chinese natives.•Phylogenetic analysis and transmission network construction of HIV-1 surveillance data are important for precise prevention of HIV-1 epidemic.