Transmission patterns of HIV-1 non-R5 strains in Poland

Joanna Smoleń-Dzirba,Piotr Kruszyński,Jolanta Bratosiewicz-Wąsik,Mariusz Cycoń,Magdalena Rosińska,Monika Bociąga-Jasik,Marek Beniowski,Bartosz Szetela,Elżbieta Jabłonowska,Tomasz J Wąsik,Janusz Janiec

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-41407-7

Abstract

HIV-1 env sequencing enables predictions of viral coreceptor tropism and phylogenetic investigations of transmission events. The aim of the study was to estimate the contribution of non-R5 strains to the viral spread in Poland. Partial proviral env sequences were retrieved from baseline blood samples of patients with newly diagnosed HIV-1 infection between 2008–2014, including 46 patients with recent HIV-1 infection (RHI), and 246 individuals with long-term infection (LTHI). These sequences were subjected to the genotypic coreceptor tropism predictions and phylogenetic analyses to identify transmission clusters. Overall, 27 clusters with 57 sequences (19.5%) were detected, including 15 sequences (26.3%) from patients with RHI. The proportion of non-R5 strains among all study participants was 23.3% (68/292), and was comparable between patients with RHI and LTHI (11/46, 23.9% vs 57/246, 23.2%; p = 1.000). All 11 patients with non-R5 strains and RHI were men having sex with men (MSM). Among these patients, 4 had viral sequences grouped within phylogenetic cluster with another sequence of non-R5 strain obtained from patient with LTHI, indicating potential acquisition of non-R5 HIV-1 for at least 4/46 (8.7%) patients with RHI. We were unable to confirm the contribution of patients with RHI to the forward transmission of non-R5 strains, but a relatively high proportion of non-R5 strains among them deserves attention due to the limited susceptibility to CCR5 antagonists.

Highlights

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) surface glycoprotein, a product of viral env gene, plays a key role in cell entry, viral tropism, pathogenesis, vulnerability to the host immune response and susceptibility to the entry inhibitors such as maraviroc[1,2,3]
The analysis of HIV-1 env gene sequences enables genotypic predictions of viral coreceptor tropism, and allows for phylogenetic investigations aimed at detection of transmission clusters, which can facilitate the understanding of the epidemiological links
Patients recruited in Chorzów predominated in the study (130/292; 44.5%), patients recruited in Wrocław constituted the most numerous group among the individuals with recent HIV-1 infection (RHI) (21/46; 45.7%; p = 0.007)

Summary

Introduction

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) surface glycoprotein (gp120), a product of viral env gene, plays a key role in cell entry, viral tropism, pathogenesis, vulnerability to the host immune response and susceptibility to the entry inhibitors such as maraviroc[1,2,3]. Www.nature.com/scientificreports of late HIV-1 diagnoses or putative transmission of CXCR4-using viruses in the local population[22] These studies did not allow to evaluate the rate of transmission of non-R5 strains, while this information would be useful for reasonable planning of treatment programs, especially in the context of the strong push to identify early HIV-1 infections, and the potential role of CCR5 antagonists in pre-exposure prophylaxis[23]. Investigations included viral and host characteristics associated with coreceptor tropism and identified transmission clusters, in order to trace the spread of non-R5 HIV-1 strains and assess the contribution of recent infections to the Polish HIV-1 epidemic

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