title: Variability of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (hiv-2) infecting patients living in france.
abstract: To determine the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) subtypes circulating in France and to identify possible relationships between these subtypes and pathogenesis, we studied 33 HIV-2-infected patients living in France. HIV-2 DNA was directly amplified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by nested PCR with specific HIV-2 env primers, and the env gene was sequenced. The serological consequences of antigenic variability were studied by using a panel of peptides and by Western blotting. Phylogenetic analysis classified the 33 HIV-2 strains as subtype A (n = 23) or B (n = 10). There were no significant clinical or epidemiological differences between patients infected with either of these two subtypes. There was some evidence for geographical clustering. Subtype A strains from patients originating from the Cape Verde Islands and Guinea Bissau clustered together. The majority of patients infected with subtype B strains originated from the Ivory Coast or Mali. Strains from patients originating in Mali also clustered in subtype A but distinctly from the Cape Verde or Guinea Bissau strains. The subtype B strains showed greater diversity and included some highly divergent strains relative to those previously characterized. The V3 loop of HIV-2 subtypes A and B was found to be quite conserved in comparison with HIV-1. A strong HIV-2 subtype B serological cross-reactivity was found on HIV-1 env antigen by Western blot mostly in the gp41 transmembrane glycoprotein. This could partly explain the double HIV-1 and HIV-2 reactive profiles found in countries where HIV-2 subtype B is prevalent.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris Cedex 18, 75877, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Damond
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Apetrei
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Souquière
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leprêtre
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matheron
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Plantier
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brun-Vézinet
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Simon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D004279:DNA, Viral; D018604:Epitope Mapping / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160 / Q000276:immunology; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; C059762:HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321); D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010455:Peptides