title: The evolving molecular epidemiology of HIV type 1 among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Malaysia.
abstract: Earlier studies in the 1990s indicate that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype B has been the predominant subtype among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Malaysia. More recent studies performed between 2003 and 2004, however, show a high prevalence of unique CRF01_AE/B intersubtype recombinants among IDUs. To determine the subtype distribution among IDUs in Kuala Lumpur prior to the emergence of CRF01_AE/B intersubtype recombinants, the gag-pol or the reverse transcriptase gene was sequenced from IDUs who were diagnosed as HIV positive between 1993 and 2002. Subtype B was present at 50.0% followed by CRF01_AE/B recombinant at 41.7%, with more CRF01_AE/B recombinants detected between 2000 and 2002. All CRF01_AE/B recombinants shared similar recombination patterns. Interestingly, we found that this potential new candidate of circulating recombinant form (CRF) could have emerged as early as the mid-1990s. The results showed evidence of changing HIV-1 molecular epidemiology toward the predominance of CRF01_AE/B intersubtype recombinants among IDUs in Kuala Lumpur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. k2tee@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Kok Keng
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Tee
authors.forename: Teik Leong
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Saw
authors.forename: Chee Keong
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Pon
authors.forename: Adeeba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamarulzaman
authors.forename: Kee Peng
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Ng
mesh_terms: D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000235:genetics; D015684:Gene Products, pol / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015684:Gene Products, pol