Molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 in Santa Catarina State confirms increases of subtype C in Southern Brazil.
Recent studies have demonstrated an increased prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype C in southern Brazil. Although Santa Catarina State (SC) is located in this area and presents one of the country's highest incidences of HIV/AIDS, knowledge on the molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 in such State is lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the HIV-1 molecular diversity and epidemiological profile of HIV-1-infected patients from SC. DNA samples were PCR amplified and HIV-1 subtypes were determined using both env and gag genes by direct sequencing. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that 48% were subtype C and 23% were subtype B. Possible recombinant forms were observed for both B/C (23%) and B/F (6%) subtypes. Our results, for the first time, identifies HIV-1 subtype C as a major clade circulating in SC and contributes to the understanding of HIV epidemics in the country by confirming the epidemic spread of the HIV-1 subtype C in southern Brazil.
Locateli
Dayse
D
Laboratório de Imunologia Aplicada, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
Stoco
Patrícia H
PH
de Queiroz
Artur T L
AT
Alcântara
Luiz C J
LC
Ferreira
Luiz G E
LG
Zanetti
Carlos R
CR
Rodrigues
Rosângela
R
Grisard
Edmundo C
EC
Pinto
Aguinaldo R
AR
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics; D015750:Genes, gag / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011995:Recombination, Genetic