title: Heterogeneous nature of HIV-1 recombinants spreading in Spain.
abstract: HIV-1 infections due to non-B subtypes are increasing rapidly in number and spreading across Europe. The genetic nature of HIV-1 non-B variants containing subtype G sequences at the protease (PR)-coding region are described from 48 unrelated subjects living in Spain. Phylogenetic analyses of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) and envelope (env) genes (including the V3 loop) were performed. Up to 32 (66.6%) of samples carried inter-subtype recombinant viruses. Although double recombinants were found most frequently (G/A in 20; G/B in 8; G/K in 2), two individuals harbored triple recombinant viruses (GPR/BRT/Aenv and GPR/KRT/Aenv, respectively). Only 33 (68.7%) and 9 (18.7%) sequences clustered with clade G when examining the RT and env genes, respectively. Nearly 70% of samples with pol sequences (PR/RT) belonging to subtype G harbored env sequences ascribed to other clades: A (55.6%), B (11.1%), or K (3.7%). Of note, most recombinant viruses clustered with CRF02_AG, although CRF14_BG recombinants were also found. This study demonstrates that most viruses circulating in Spain with clade G sequences at the pol-coding region are in fact inter-subtype recombinants, with CRF02_AG being the most prevalent virus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. aholguin.hciii@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: Africa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holguín
authors.forename: Amparo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Soriano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D015752:Genes, env; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016333:HIV Protease / Q000235:genetics; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004279:DNA, Viral; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D016333:HIV Protease