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Genotypic Inference of HIV-1 Tropism Using Population-based Sequencing of V3
11:10

Genotypic Inference of HIV-1 Tropism Using Population-based Sequencing of V3

Published on: December 28, 2010

HIV-1 subtype C syncytium- and non-syncytium-inducing phenotypes and coreceptor usage among Ethiopian patients with

A Abebe1, D Demissie, J Goudsmit

  • 1Ethiopian-Netherlands AIDS Research Project, Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa. enarp@telecom.net.et

AIDS (London, England)
|August 17, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Ethiopian AIDS patients predominantly harbor non-syncytium-inducing (NSI) HIV-1 subtype C viruses, with a low frequency of syncytium-inducing (SI) strains. Coreceptor usage, primarily CCR5 for NSI viruses, correlates with their biological phenotypes.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) exhibits diverse biological properties, including syncytium-inducing (SI) and non-syncytium-inducing (NSI) phenotypes.
  • These phenotypes are associated with different coreceptor usage (CCR5, CXCR4) and disease progression.
  • Understanding HIV-1 diversity in specific populations is crucial for therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency of SI and NSI HIV-1 isolates in Ethiopian AIDS patients.
  • To analyze coreceptor usage of these HIV-1 isolates.
  • To characterize the gp120 V3 sequences of HIV-1 subtype C.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 48 hospitalized Ethiopian AIDS patients (CD4 count < 200 cells/mm³).
  • HIV-1 phenotypes (SI/NSI) were determined using the MT-2 assay.
  • Coreceptor usage was assessed using U87 cell transfectants and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).
  • HIV-1 gp120 V3 sequences were analyzed using RT-PCR and phylogenetic methods.

Main Results:

  • A low frequency of SI viruses (6%) was observed in Ethiopian AIDS patients.
  • Patients with SI viruses had lower mean absolute CD4 counts compared to those with NSI viruses.
  • All isolates were identified as HIV-1 subtype C.
  • NSI viruses primarily used CCR5, while SI viruses utilized CXCR4, CCR5, and/or CCR3.

Conclusions:

  • Ethiopian AIDS patients infected with HIV-1 subtype C exhibit a low prevalence of SI phenotype viruses.
  • The observed coreceptor usage patterns correlate with the biological phenotypes of the HIV-1 isolates.
  • These findings contribute to understanding HIV-1 diversity in the Ethiopian population.
Abstract

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