Genomic diversity of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 in India

Surveillance of HIV-1 subtypes has important implications for the development of candidate vaccine and understanding the possible differences in the transmission and natural history of different subtypes. In this study, HIV-1 subtypes were determined for homologies in the C2-V3-V5 region by heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA) in HIV-1 seropositive patients referred to the National HIV/AIDS Reference Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India. Of the 125 samples analysed, 98 (78.4%) were HIV-1 subtype C, 11 (8.8%) were subtype B', 3 (2.4%) were subtype A and 2 (1.6%) were subtype E. In 11 samples, subtype determination was not clear-cut. It is possible that these individuals may be infected with recombinant strains of HIV-1. These findings may have significant implications for the designing and testing of effective HIV-1 vaccine candidate in India.