title: Biological phenotypes of HIV-1 subtypes A and B strains of diverse origins.
abstract: The identification of specific biologic phenotypic traits that can be correlated with different HIV-1 genetic subtypes was sought. The genetic subtypes were determined by either sequencing (Cameroonian strains, n = 18) or by the heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA) (Belgian strains, n = 21 and Ivorian strains, n = 25). Seventeen (81%) of the 21 Belgian isolates belonged to subtype B and 4 (17%) were subtype A strains. Subtype A variants were predominant in the two African countries studied; 11 (61%) of 18 strains from Cameroon and 23 (92%) of 25 strains from the Ivory Coast. Of the 64 isolates, 38 (58%) and 19 (29%) belonged to subtypes A and B, respectively. No significant difference was observed for biological phenotypes (slow/low and rapid/high) of both genetic subtypes. In symptomatic individuals, however, a significantly higher number of subtype B isolates were of rapid/high phenotype, compared with subtype A (5 of 10; 50%) vs. 2 of 22; 9%), respectively; X2 = 6.7, P = 0.02). The findings suggest that overall HIV-1 isolates belonging to genetic subtype B are not distinguishable from subtype A variants on the basis of their biological phenotypes. Syncytium-inducing variants were less prevalent regardless of the geographic origin of the isolates.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Nkengasong
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Willems
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Janssens
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Heyndrickx
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fransen
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ndumbe
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Gershy-Damet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nys
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D017931:DNA Primers; D005838:Genotype; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000821:virology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers