High genetic variability of HIV-1 in female sex workers from Argentina.
BACKGROUND
A cross-sectional study on 625 Female Sex Workers (FSWs) was conducted between 2000 and 2002 in 6 cities in Argentina. This study describes the genetic diversity and the resistance profile of the HIV-infected subjects.


RESULTS
Seventeen samples from HIV positive FSWs were genotyped by env HMA, showing the presence of 9 subtype F, 6 subtype B and 2 subtype C. Sequence analysis of the protease/RT region on 16 of these showed that 10 were BF recombinants, three were subtype B, two were subtype C, and one sample presented a dual infection with subtype B and a BF recombinant. Full-length genomes of five of the protease/RT BF recombinants were also sequenced, showing that three of them were CRF12_BF. One FSW had a dual HIV-1 infection with subtype B and a BF recombinant. The B sections of the BF recombinant clustered closely with the pure B sequence isolated from the same patient. Major resistance mutations to antiretroviral drugs were found in 3 of 16 (18.8%) strains.


CONCLUSIONS
The genetic diversity of HIV strains among FSWs in Argentina was extensive; about three-quarters of the samples were infected with diverse BF recombinants, near twenty percent had primary ART resistance and one sample presented a dual infection. Heterosexual transmission of genetically diverse, drug resistant strains among FSWs and their clients represents an important and underestimated threat, in Argentina.
Pando
María A
MA
Centro Nacional de Referencia para el SIDA (CNRS), Departamento de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay, Piso 11, Buenos Aires, Argentina. mpando@fmed.uba.ar
Eyzaguirre
Lindsay M
LM
Carrion
Gladys
G
Montano
Silvia M
SM
Sanchez
José L
JL
Carr
Jean K
JK
Avila
María M
MM
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D020180:Heteroduplex Analysis; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D011477:Sex Work
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents
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