Diverse BF recombinants have spread widely since the introduction of HIV-1 into South America.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the genetic diversity of HIV-1 in South America by full genome sequencing and analysis.


METHODS
Purified peripheral blood mononuclear cell DNA from HIV-infected individuals in Argentina, Uruguay and Bolivia was used to amplify full HIV-1 genomes. These were sequenced using the ABI 3100 automated sequencer and phylogenetically analysed.


RESULTS
Twenty-one HIV-1 strains from three South American countries, 17 of which were pre-screened by envelope heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA), were studied. Ten out of 10 HMA subtype F and four out of seven HMA subtype B strains were actually BF recombinants upon full genome analysis. Two BF recombinants from Argentina and two from Uruguay had the same structure, representing a new circulating recombinant form termed CRF12_BF(ARMA159). Twelve other BF recombinants had structures related to CRF12 but with additional segments of subtype B; each was unique. BF recombinants were temporally and geographically widespread, found as early as 1986-1987 in vertically infected Argentinian children and in Argentina, Uruguay, and Bolivia.
Carr
J K
JK
Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. jcarr@hivresearch.org
Avila
M
M
Gomez Carrillo
M
M
Salomon
H
H
Hierholzer
J
J
Watanaveeradej
V
V
Pando
M A
MA
Negrete
M
M
Russell
K L
KL
Sanchez
J
J
Birx
D L
DL
Andrade
R
R
Vinoles
J
J
McCutchan
F E
FE
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D020180:Heteroduplex Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013020:South America / Q000453:epidemiology