Genetic Diversity of HIV-1 in Krasnoyarsk Krai: Area with High Levels of HIV-1 Recombination in Russia.

Lada V Maksimenko,Svetlana V Yaschenko,Ekaterina M Astakhova,Mariya P Gashnikova,Aleksey V Totmenin,Natalya M Gashnikova,Evgeniy F Bocharov,Sergey E Skudarnov,Tatyana S Ostapova,Ivan O Meshkov,Rinat А Maksyutov

doi:10.1155/2020/9057541

Abstract

More than a quarter of HIV-infected individuals registered in Russia live in Siberia. Unlike Central Russia where HIV-1 subtype A6 is predominant, in most Siberian regions since 2012, a new HIV-1 CRF63_02A1 genetic variant has spread, with the share of this variant attaining 75–85% among newly identified HIV cases. Krasnoyarsk Krai is considered to be a high-risk territory according to morbidity rate and HIV infection incidence among the population. The current paper aims to study the molecular epidemiologic characteristics of HIV-1 spreading in Krasnoyarsk Krai. Phylogenetic and recombination analyses of pol (PR-RT, IN) and env regions of the virus were used for genotyping 159 HIV-1 isolated in Krasnoyarsk Krai. 57.2% of the isolates belonged to subtype A (A6) specific to Russia, 12.6% to CRF63_02A1, and 0.6% to CRF02_AGСА, and in 29.6% HIV-1 URFs were detected, including URF63/А (23.9%), URFА/В (4.4%), and URF02/А (1.3%). In 6 of 7, HIV-1 URFА/В identical recombination model was detected; the origin of 38 URF63/А was proven to be the result of individual recombination events. Since 2015, a share of the population with newly diagnosed HIV who were infected with HIV-1 URF reached an exceptionally high rate of 38.6%. As distinct from adjacent Siberian regions, the HIV-1 CRF63_02A1 prevalence rate in Krasnoyarsk Krai is within 16%; however, the increased contribution of new HIV-1 into the regional epidemic development was observed due to the recombination of viruses of subtypes А, В, and CRF63_02A1. The difference between the described molecular epidemiologic picture in Krasnoyarsk Krai and in adjacent areas is likely caused by differences in predominant routes of HIV transmission and by more recent HIV-1 CRF63_02A1 transmission in the PWID group, which had a high prevalence of HIV-1 subtype A by the time of the new virus transmission, resulting in increased possibility of coinfection with various HIV-1 genetic variants.

Highlights

HIV infection epidemic in Russia continues to evolve [1], and HIV infection cases have been registered in all territorial entities of the Russian Federation. e number of Russian regions with a high prevalence of HIV infection reached 34 in 2018
We proposed that the activation of HIV infection distribution in Krasnoyarsk Krai in 2013–2016 may have contributed to changes in the genetic variability of circulating HIV strains in that territory. is study aims to analyze the characteristics of current HIV-1 distribution in Krasnoyarsk Krai
Despite some stabilization of the epidemic, annual detection of new HIV infection, cases in Krasnoyarsk Krai remain at a high level and increase in HIV incidence is observed among the population. erefore, molecular epidemiologic analysis of current HIV infection spreading in the region conducted in our study is of current importance for characterization of the epidemic situation

Summary

Introduction

HIV infection epidemic in Russia continues to evolve [1], and HIV infection cases have been registered in all territorial entities of the Russian Federation. e number of Russian regions with a high prevalence of HIV infection (more than 0.5% of population size) reached 34 in 2018. HIV infection epidemic in Russia continues to evolve [1], and HIV infection cases have been registered in all territorial entities of the Russian Federation. E number of Russian regions with a high prevalence of HIV infection (more than 0.5% of population size) reached 34 in 2018. Siberia (Siberian Federal District, SFD) significantly contributes to epidemic development, where more than a quarter of HIV-infected population of Russia is registered. Five SFD regions make the list of top 10 Russian territories with the highest HIV infection rates. In 2018, Krasnoyarsk Krai ranks 8th in Russia and 5th in SFD according to this index [2, 3], with adjacent. Krasnoyarsk Krai is the second largest federal subject with an area of 2 339 700 km and 2 876 497 residents, with the urban population accounting for 77.4%.

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Results

Conclusion