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Identification of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 in a New Zealand resident
B A Shroeder1, M Bridle, M C Croxson
1Department of Virology and Immunology, Auckland Hospital.
Aims:
To determine the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) types infecting a West African immigrant to New Zealand. To develop an HIV type 2 specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Methods:
The HIV antibody status of the patient was determined using both HIV-1 and dual HIV-1 and 2 enzyme immuno assays (EIA). Western blot with HIV-2 and HIV-1 and 2 strips was used as a confirmatory assay. DNA from white blood cells was extracted and HIV proviral DNA amplified using either primers specific to the HIV-2 gag region (VB305 and VB312) or to HIV-1 gag (SK38/39) and env (SK68/69) regions. Amplified products were electrophoretically resolved, southern blotted and probed with specific oligonucleotide probes.
Results:
The patient serum was strongly reactive for HIV antibodies by EIA and showed multiple reactivity when tested by western blot against both HIV-1 and HIV-2 proteins. DNA was only amplified with primers specific to HIV-2 and the 298 bp product hybridized with an HIV-2 specific probe. No HIV-1 DNA was amplified from the patient.
Conclusion:
This individual is infected with HIV-2 and has most likely developed antibodies that cross-react with HIV-1. We believe this is the first report of an HIV-2 infected individual in New Zealand.