HIV-1 subtype J recombinant viruses in Spain

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Genetics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a global health concern with diverse genetic subtypes.
• Understanding HIV-1 genetic diversity is crucial for developing effective diagnostics, treatments, and prevention strategies.
• Previous HIV-1 characterization in Spain has not extensively documented subtype J-like genomic regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To genetically characterize HIV-1 strains from two individuals diagnosed in Madrid, Spain, who originated from Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.
• To determine the phylogenetic relationships of the protease and env genes of these HIV-1 strains.
• To report the presence of HIV-1 with subtype J-like genomic regions in Spain for the first time.

Main Methods:

• Viral RNA extraction from patient samples.
• Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to amplify protease and env genes.
• Phylogenetic analysis using neighbor-joining or maximum likelihood methods.
• High bootstrap values used to confirm sequence clustering.

Main Results:

• Phylogenetic analysis of the protease-encoding gene from both individuals showed clustering with HIV-1 subtype J sequences with high bootstrap support.
• Sequences of the env gene from the two individuals clustered with HIV-1 subtypes A and C, respectively.
• This study identified HIV-1 strains with a unique combination of genetic markers, including subtype J-like protease regions.

Conclusions:

• The findings represent the first documented characterization of HIV-1 containing subtype J-like genomic regions in Spain.
• These results highlight the ongoing genetic diversity and potential for novel recombinant forms of HIV-1 circulating in Europe.
• Further surveillance and genetic characterization are necessary to understand the full spectrum of HIV-1 diversity in Spain and its implications for public health.