title: Protease gene analysis of HIV type 1 non-B subtypes in Spain.
abstract: The protease gene of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) clinical isolates found in 15 immigrants (most of African origin) living in Spain was examined. Phylogenetic analyses were performed, taking as reference a panel of 26 HIV protease gene sequences deposited with GenBank. All specimens belonged to four distinct HIV-1 non-B subtypes: C (three cases), F (one), G (nine), and H (two). Five patients harboring subtype G strains were further classified within the IbNg recombinant clade. A high degree of genetic polymorphism at the protease gene was seen in all subtypes. Moreover, changes at positions associated with drug resistance were seen in subtype G viruses carried by patients who had not been exposed to protease inhibitors. Plasma viremia was lower than expected for some samples, according to the clinical features and the CD4+ cell count, suggesting that viral load titers were underestimated by all three commercially available techniques. This work represents the first genetic characterization of subtypes C, F, G, and H in Spain.
authors.affiliation: Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Carlos III, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holguín
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rodés
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Soriano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005260:Female; D005814:Genes, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D016333:HIV Protease / Q000235:genetics*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D013030:Spain; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D016333:HIV Protease