title: High HIV-1 genetic diversity in Cuba.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ruibal
authors.forename: María Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Villahermosa
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: Elena Vázquez-de
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Parga
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pérez-Alvarez
authors.forename: Madelín Blanco
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: de Armas
authors.forename: Laureano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.forename: Leandro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Medrano
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noa
authors.forename: Saladin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Osmanov
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nájera
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Thomson
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; C059762:HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321); D010446:Peptide Fragments