Abstract
BackgroundA cross-sectional study on 625 Female Sex Workers (FSWs) was conducted between 2000 and 2002 in 6 cities in Argentina. This study describes the genetic diversity and the resistance profile of the HIV-infected subjects.ResultsSeventeen samples from HIV positive FSWs were genotyped by env HMA, showing the presence of 9 subtype F, 6 subtype B and 2 subtype C. Sequence analysis of the protease/RT region on 16 of these showed that 10 were BF recombinants, three were subtype B, two were subtype C, and one sample presented a dual infection with subtype B and a BF recombinant. Full-length genomes of five of the protease/RT BF recombinants were also sequenced, showing that three of them were CRF12_BF. One FSW had a dual HIV-1 infection with subtype B and a BF recombinant. The B sections of the BF recombinant clustered closely with the pure B sequence isolated from the same patient. Major resistance mutations to antiretroviral drugs were found in 3 of 16 (18.8%) strains.ConclusionThe genetic diversity of HIV strains among FSWs in Argentina was extensive; about three-quarters of the samples were infected with diverse BF recombinants, near twenty percent had primary ART resistance and one sample presented a dual infection. Heterosexual transmission of genetically diverse, drug resistant strains among FSWs and their clients represents an important and underestimated threat, in Argentina.
Highlights
A cross-sectional study on 625 Female Sex Workers (FSWs) was conducted between 2000 and 2002 in 6 cities in Argentina
Genetic Characterization Heteroduplex Mobility Assay (HMA) Out of 20 HIV positive samples, envelope Heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA) was completed in 17 samples
Subtype B by envelope HMA and subsequently the protease/ reverse transcriptase (pro/RT) region was amplified and the sequence was characterized as a BF recombinant
Summary
A cross-sectional study on 625 Female Sex Workers (FSWs) was conducted between 2000 and 2002 in 6 cities in Argentina. This study describes the genetic diversity and the resistance profile of the HIV-infected subjects. Phylogenetic analyses of HIV-1 have revealed the presence of 9 subtypes (A-D, F-H, J and K) and at least 34 circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) worldwide. Previous studies have highlighted the complex nature of the HIV epidemic in Argentina and revealed the presence of two independent epidemics: one among men who have sex with men (MSM) where the viral strains are mostly subtype B, and the second among heterosexuals and injecting drug users (IDUs) where BF recombinants predominate [2,3]. Phylogenetic analysis of strains from Argentina has described different subtypes and recombinants in newly diagnosed patients [5], including one triple recombinant between subtypes B, C and F [6]
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