Evidence of genetic variability of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in plasma and cervicovaginal lavage in ethiopian women seeking care for sexually transmitted infections.
Most human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmission in developing countries occurs through heterosexual intercourse or during birth from mother to child. It is critical to characterize the virus of the genital tract variants as a target for the development of an HIV-1 vaccine and microbicidal therapies. We compared the C2V3 env domain genetic diversity of HIV-1 in female genital secretions and in plasma from Ethiopian women seeking care for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Sequences within an individual differed between the plasma and cervicovaginal lavage (CLV) compartments with nucleotide and amino acid median difference values of 8.3 and 4.8%, respectively. Sequence diversity in CVL was greater than in plasma. And the V3 loop positive charge was often more elevated in CVL. These are markers of the differential evolution of the viruses in CVL and peripheral blood indicating that limited evolution at the site of contact is not the limiting factor determining the preferential transmission of macrophage tropic viruses.
Adal
Melaku
M
Ethio-Netherlands AIDS Research Project (ENARP), Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ayele
Workenesh
W
Wolday
Dawit
D
Dagne
Kifle
K
Messele
Tsehaynesh
T
Tilahun
Tesfaye
T
Berkhout
Ben
B
Mayaan
Shlomo
S
Pollakis
Georgios
G
Dorigo-Zetsma
Wendelien
W
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000821:virology*; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000737:chemistry; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D014621:Vagina / Q000821:virology*
D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; C059762:HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321); D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012367:RNA, Viral