Can Information Measure be One of Markers to Estimate Disease Progression in HIV-1-Infected Patients?

Abstract

To estimate prognosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, we analyzed sequences of V3 region obtained at several points in time following seroconversion of each patient by means of a genetic measure called the entropy evolution rate. Phylogenetic analysis with the entropy evolution rate indicated that sequences in V3 are classified according to disease progression. The branch lengths tend to be longer as disease progressed, from the asymptomatic stage of infection to the symptomatic stage. The branch lengths tend to be longer as disease progressed, from the asymptomatic stage of infection to the symptomatic stage. Viral sequences of each patient who did not develop AIDS during follow up were closely related to each other throughout all time points, and those branch lengths were relatively short. That is, the branch lengths reflected disease progression. Our results indicated that the entropy evolution rate can be one of surrogate the markers to estimate the stage of disease.