title: Circulation of subtype A and gagA/envB recombinant HIV type 1 strains among injecting drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia, correlates with geographical origin of infections.
abstract: Countries of the former Soviet Union are experiencing an emerging HIV-1 epidemic due to a rapid expansion of HIV-1 among injecting drug users (IDUs). To study the molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 among IDUs in St. Petersburg, Russia, virus sequences were obtained from 22 individuals. Phylogenetic analysis of the env and gag regions revealed circulation of two major HIV-1 populations, one belonging to HIV-1 subtype A, and another being a recombinant of subtype A and B viruses (gagA/envB). Both virus populations were highly homogeneous, with a mean pairwise genetic distance of <2%, and similar to viruses obtained earlier from IDUs in other regions of the former Soviet Union. Distribution of the two major HIV-1 genotypes in St. Petersburg correlated with geographical origin of infections. In one individual, a virus type previously unseen among IDUs was found, which demonstrates the possibility that new viruses are entering this risk group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Retrovirology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Lukashov
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huismans
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Rakhmanova
authors.forename: Z N
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Lisitsina
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Akhtyrskaya
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Vlasov
authors.forename: O B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Melnick
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goudsmit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D005260:Female; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics*; D015750:Genes, gag / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*