title: Characterization of an old complex circulating recombinant form, CRF27_cpx, originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and circulating in France.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: UMR145, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement (IRD) and University of Montpellier 1, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frange
authors.forename: Marie-Laure
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Chaix
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mulanga
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lepira
authors.forename: Samuel Edidi
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Bazepeo
authors.forename: Cecile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goujard
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rouzioux
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delaporte
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peeters
mesh_terms: 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