Dynamics and molecular evolution of HIV-1 strains in Sicily among antiretroviral naïve patients

• Published in: Infection, genetics and evolution Vol. 16; pp. 290 - 297
• Main Authors: Tramuto, F., Maida, C.M., Bonura, F., Perna, A.M., Vitale, F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.06.2013
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Chi-Square Distribution; Child; Child, Preschool; classification; Cluster Analysis; Cohort Studies; CRF; epidemiology; Evolution, Molecular; Female; Genes, pol; Genes, pol - genetics; genetic variation; genetics; HAART-naïve patients; HIV infections; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1; HIV-1 - classification; HIV-1 - genetics; HIV-1 - isolation & purification; HIV-1 subtypes; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Humans; immigration; Infant; isolation & purification; Male; Middle Aged; Molecular Epidemiology; Molecular evolution; monitoring; Non-B subtypes; patients; Phylogeny; Sicily; Sicily (Italy); Sicily - epidemiology; virology; viruses; Sicily; Sicily (Italy); Non-B subtypes; HIV-1 subtypes; Molecular evolution; HAART-naïve patients; CRF
• ISSN: 1567-1348; 1567-7257; 1567-7257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2013.02.012

► We examine changes in the molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 strains in Sicily. ► Heterosexual contacts are responsible for the most part of HIV-1 non-B infections. ► In Sicily, HIV-1 epidemic is still mostly attributable to the B subtype. ► HIV-1 eterogeneity is mainly correlated to population movements and immigration influx. ► An increasing genetic diversity has been observed in the autochthonous population. HIV-1 subtype B is the most frequent strain in Sicily. To date, there is no available data about the genetic diversity of HIV-1 viral strains circulating in Sicily among antiretroviral (ARV) naïve subjects and the role of immigration as potential determinant of evolutionary dynamics of HIV-1 molecular epidemiology. For this purpose, HIV-1 polymerase (pol) sequences obtained from 155 ARV naïve individuals from 2004 to 2009 were phylogenetically analysed. The overall rate of HIV-1 non-B infections was 31.0% (n=48/155), increasing from 7.8% in 2004–2006 to 40.9% in 2009, and about one-third were identified as unique recombinant forms. CRF02_AG was the prevalent non-B clade (n=28/48, 58.3%), while subtype C-related strains were responsible for about 30% HIV-1 infections. Non-B viruses strictly associated with heterosexual transmission (85.4%) and were mostly found among immigrants (77.1%). Phylogenetic analysis of non-B sequences found in foreign-born subjects was geographically correlated to the respective country of origin. Moreover, the detection of non-B viral variants in the autochthonous population may support an increasing genetic diversity in Sicily as well as a local circulation of HIV strains also uncommon in our country. In Sicily, HIV-1 epidemic is still mostly attributable to the B subtype. Nevertheless, migration and population movements are progressively introducing novel HIV-1 subtypes causing a continuous increase of HIV-1 molecular dynamic at local level. Molecular surveillance is needed to monitor the genetic evolution of HIV-1 epidemic.