Abstract

BackgroundHIV-1 CRF07_BC recombinant previously circulated mainly among the intravenous drug users (IDUs) in Xinjiang province of China and is currently spreading in the entire country. The aim of this study is to characterize the genotypic and phenotypic properties of HIV-1 CRF07_BC isolates in comparison with those of the subtype B' (Thailand B) which is prevalent in the former plasma donors (FPDs) in China.ResultsTwelve HIV-1 CRF07_BC variants were isolated from the blood of the HIV-1-infected IDUs in Xinjiang province, and 20 subtype B' isolates were obtained from the FPDs in Anhui and Shanxi provinces of China. All the CRF07_BC viruses utilized CCR5 co-receptor, whereas 12 subtype B' viruses were R5-tropic, and the remaining B' isolates were dual (R5X4) tropic. CRF07_BC viruses had lower net charge value in the V3 loop and exhibited slower replication kinetics than subtype B' viruses. The number and location of the potential N-linked glycosylation sites in V1/V2 and the C2 region of the CRF07_BC viruses were significantly different from those of the subtype B' viruses.ConclusionThe HIV-1 CRF07_BC recombinant strains with relatively lower net charges in the V3 loop exclusively utilize CCR5 co-receptor for infection and exhibit slow replication kinetics in the primary target cells, suggesting that CRF07_BC may be superior over B' and other HIV-1 subtypes in initiating infection in high-risk population. These findings have molecular implications for the adaptive evolution of HIV-1 circulating in China and the design of tailored therapeutic strategy for treatment of HIV-1 CRF07_BC infection.

Highlights

  • human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) CRF07_BC recombinant previously circulated mainly among the intravenous drug users (IDUs) in Xinjiang province of China and is currently spreading in the entire country

  • The subtype B' viruses spread from Yunnan province to Henan, Hubei, Anhui, and Shanxi provinces, all located in central China, among the former plasma donors (FPDs), while the CRF07_BC viruses spread among the IDUs along the drug-trafficking routes to Xinjiang province, in the northwest of China [9]

  • Sample population The HIV-1 CRF07_BC and B' isolates were obtained from the blood of pre-selected HIV-1-infected patients, who participated in a multicenter AIDS Cohort Study in China during 2003–2005

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Summary

Introduction

HIV-1 CRF07_BC recombinant previously circulated mainly among the intravenous drug users (IDUs) in Xinjiang province of China and is currently spreading in the entire country. The group M viruses that are responsible for the global AIDS epidemic have been further categorized into nine HIV-1 genetic subtypes – A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, and K, as well as more than 34 circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) [1]. In late 1980s, initial HIV-1 epidemic among intravenous drug users (IDUs) in Yunnan province, in the southwest of China, was caused by a mixture of subtype B and Thai subtype B (B'), but the B' subtype became dominate in the middle of the 1990s [5]. CRF07_BC was reported to be responsible for more than 90% of the new HIV-1 infections in Xinjiang province [10]. The latest national molecular epidemiology survey (2001–2003) showed that the prevalence of the HIV-1 CRF_BC has reached over 50%, compared with 30% in the first survey (1996– 1998); whereas the prevalence of HIV-1 B' subtype showed a decrease from 48% in the first survey to 32% in the second survey, due to the improvement of blood safety [11]

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