Molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 infection and full-length genomic analysis of circulating recombinant form 07_BC strains from injection drug users in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
Previously, we reported that there was an outbreak of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) circulating recombinant form (CRF) 07_BC among injection drug users (IDUs) in Taiwan in 2004. The objectives of the present study were to conduct a molecular epidemiological analysis and to characterize the full-length genome of the Taiwanese CRF07_BC.


METHODS
Three hundred and fifty-eight patients with HIV-1/AIDS from hospitals and 133 HIV-1-infected inmates from detention centers were recruited. DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were conducted to determine subtypes and evolutionary relationships. Recombination breakpoints of 2 full-length CRF07_BC strains were elucidated using a bootscanning method.


RESULTS
Of 206 HIV-1-infected patients who received a diagnosis in 2004, 44.7% were infected with subtype B, 53.4% with CRF07_BC, and 1.5% with CRF01_AE. Ninety-eight percent (109/111) of IDUs were infected with CRF07_BC. Deletions of 7-11 amino acids in both p6(gag) and p6(pol) proteins were noted among the Taiwanese CRF07_BC strains. The CRF_07BC strains belonged to 2 phylogenetic clusters, and the first cluster contained only CRF07_BC strains from the southern part of Taiwan.


CONCLUSIONS
The Taiwanese CRF07_BC strains had 97% full-length sequence homology with the prototype from mainland China. CRF07_BC was first introduced into the southern region in 2002 and then spread to other regions in Taiwan in 2004.
Lin
Yu-Ting
YT
AIDS Prevention and Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Lan
Yu-Ching
YC
Chen
Yen-Ju
YJ
Huang
Yu-Hui
YH
Lee
Cheng-Ming
CM
Liu
Tze-Tze
TT
Wong
Wing-Wai
WW
Yang
Jyh-Yuan
JY
Wang
Chin-Tien
CT
Chen
Yi-Ming Arthur
YM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics; D015750:Genes, gag / Q000235:genetics; D015751:Genes, pol / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D004279:DNA, Viral