title: Evidence of genetic variability of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in plasma and cervicovaginal lavage in ethiopian women seeking care for sexually transmitted infections.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Ethio-Netherlands AIDS Research Project (ENARP), Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Melaku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adal
authors.forename: Workenesh
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ayele
authors.forename: Dawit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wolday
authors.forename: Kifle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dagne
authors.forename: Tsehaynesh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Messele
authors.forename: Tesfaye
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tilahun
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berkhout
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mayaan
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pollakis
authors.forename: Wendelien
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dorigo-Zetsma
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; C059762:HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321); D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012367:RNA, Viral