Characterization of an old complex circulating recombinant form, CRF27_cpx, originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and circulating in France.
Full-length genomes were characterized for two samples, 02CD-LBR024 from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and 04FR-CD-KZS from France, that formed a separate subcluster with a previously characterized env subtype E isolate from DRC with a recombinant structure different from CRF01-AE. Since the three viruses are clearly epidemiologically unlinked and share the same complex recombinant structure, they represent a circulating recombinant form, designated as CRF27-cpx. The recombination pattern involves six different HIV-1 subtypes (A, E, G, H, J, and K) and a small unclassified fragment. The genetic distances are relatively high, indicating that CRF27-cpx evolved over a long time. Their prevalence is low (0.75%) and remained stable over time in the DRC. The existence of the 04FR.CD.KZS virus, in a patient who recently seroconverted in France, confirmed that these strains now circulate outside the DRC. Continuous monitoring of HIV-1 strains thus remains important to allow early identification of the introduction of new variants.
Vidal
Nicole
N
UMR145, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement (IRD) and University of Montpellier 1, Montpellier, France.
Frange
Pierre
P
Chaix
Marie-Laure
ML
Mulanga
Claire
C
Lepira
François
F
Bazepeo
Samuel Edidi
SE
Goujard
Cecile
C
Meyer
Laurence
L
Rouzioux
Christine
C
Delaporte
Eric
E
Peeters
Martine
M
D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D005602:France; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA