title: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 env and p17gag sequence variation in polymerase chain reaction-positive, seronegative injection drug users.
abstract: Variation in gene sequences from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) p17gag and the third hypervariable region (V3 loop) of env was examined in a cross-sectional study of single specimens from 4 HIV-1 polymerase chain reaction-positive, seronegative injection drug users. As observed in sexually transmitted disease, clones of HIV-1 genes isolated from an individual were remarkably homogeneous, with amino acid variation in the envelope region of 0.3%-0.9% and in p17gag of 0.0%-0.7%. Intersubject variation was much greater (at the amino acid level, 15% for the envelope and 4.3% for p17gag), with conservation in the envelope only of regions at the base of the V3 loop. Since at least some subjects likely acquired infection intravenously, the ability of virus to survive in seminal fluid or on mucosal surfaces cannot explain the observed homogeneity, which may depend on direct interactions between the virus and the infected cell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Markham
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Farzadegan
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vlahov
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000235:genetics*; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics*; D015750:Genes, gag / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000821:virology*; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015488:HIV Antigens; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C054858:p17 protein, Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1