High HIV-1 genetic diversity in Cuba.
BACKGROUND
HIV-1 subtype B is largely predominant in the Caribbean, although other subtypes have been recently identified in Cuba.


OBJECTIVE
To examine HIV-1 genetic diversity in Cuba.


METHODS
The study enrolled 105 HIV-1-infected individuals, 93 of whom had acquired the infection in Cuba. DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells was used for polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of pol (protease-reverse transcriptase) and env (V3 region) segments. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using the neighbour-joining method. Intersubtype recombination was analysed by bootscanning.


RESULTS
Of the samples, 50 (48%) were of subtype B and 55 (52%) of diverse non-B subtypes and recombinant forms. Among non-B viruses, 12 were non-recombinant, belonging to six subtypes (C, D, F1, G, H and J), the most frequent of which was subtype G (n = 5). The remaining 43 (78%) non-B viruses were recombinant, with 14 different forms, the two most common of which were Dpol/Aenv (n = 21) and U(unknown)pol/Henv (n = 7), which grouped in respective monophyletic clusters. Twelve recombinant viruses were mosaics of different genetic forms circulating in Cuba. Overall, 21 genetic forms were identified, with all known HIV-1 group M subtypes present in Cuba, either as non-recombinant viruses or as segments of recombinant forms. Non-B subtype viruses were predominant among heterosexuals (72%) and B subtype viruses among homo- or bisexuals (63%).


CONCLUSIONS
An extraordinarily high diversity of HIV-1 genetic forms, unparalleled in the Americas and comparable to that found in Central Africa, is present in Cuba.
Cuevas
María Teresa
MT
Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Ruibal
Ignacio
I
Villahermosa
María Luisa
ML
Díaz
Héctor
H
Delgado
Elena
E
Parga
Elena Vázquez-de
EV
Pérez-Alvarez
Lucía
L
de Armas
Madelín Blanco
MB
Cuevas
Laureano
L
Medrano
Leandro
L
Noa
Enrique
E
Osmanov
Saladin
S
Nájera
Rafael
R
Thomson
Michael M
MM
D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D005260:Female; D015751:Genes, pol; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny
D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; C059762:HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321); D010446:Peptide Fragments