Using phylogenetic analysis to trace HIV-1 migration among western European injecting drug users seroconverting from 1984 to 1997.
OBJECTIVE
To reconstruct the epidemiological relationships of the HIV epidemics among injecting drug users (IDU) in western Europe.


METHODS
HIV env V3 sequences of and epidemiological data were obtained from 145 IDU who seroconverted in three sequential periods: 1984-1988, 1989-1992 and 1993-1997. The sequences were phylogenetically analysed and examined for signature patterns characteristic of northern European IDU, including the conserved GGC codon in the V3 loop.


RESULTS
Subpopulations of genetically related HIV strains were observed in Italy, France, Scotland and Spain, in contrast to the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland. This difference between the two groups of countries suggests that the HIV epidemics amongst IDU in the latter group was caused by multiple virus introductions. In Edinburgh and the surrounding area, most IDU were infected with the same GGC strain over the 12-year study period. The epidemic among IDU in north-western Europe started with GGC viruses, whereas in south-western Europe non-GGC viruses predominated. This geographical separation has faded during the course of the epidemic, most likely because of virus exchange among IDU populations.
Op de Coul
E L
EL
Division of Public Health and Environment, Municipal Health Service, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Prins
M
M
Cornelissen
M
M
van der Schoot
A
A
Boufassa
F
F
Brettle
R P
RP
Hernández-Aguado
L
L
Schiffer
V
V
McMenamin
J
J
Rezza
G
G
Robertson
R
R
Zangerle
R
R
Goudsmit
J
J
Coutinho
R A
RA
Lukashov
V V
VV
D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; C059762:HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321); D010446:Peptide Fragments