title: Biological properties of HIV-1 subtype B' isolates from infected Chinese blood donors at different disease stages.
abstract: Unsanitary blood/plasma collecting activities in central China during the 1990's caused a high prevalence of blood-borne HIV-1 infection. Although the genetic characterization of the proviral DNA of HIV-1 circulating in the infected former blood donors (FBDs) has been reported, there is little information about the biological characteristics of virus isolates in these FBDs. In this study, we have examined the biologic properties of HIV-1 isolates from AIDS patients and long-term non-progressors (LTNP) of FBDs. Our results indicate that the growth properties, co-receptor usage and syncitium inducing capabilities of the HIV-1 isolates are associated with the disease status of patients. The virus isolates from LTNPs replicated slower, used the CCR5 co-receptor and were of non-syncytium inducing phenotype. In contrast, HIV-1 isolates from AIDS patients showed high replication kinetics, used both CCR5 and CXCR4 co-receptors and induced syncytium formation. A higher level of cytopathicity was also detected in syncytium inducing virus compared to non-syncytium inducing isolates irrespective of patients' disease statuses. Although there was no significant differences in the binding and penetration of the target cells between the isolates from LTNPs and those from AIDS patients, viral DNA synthesis of viral isolates from LTNPs was much slower than the DNA synthesized by the isolates from AIDS patients, indicating a restriction at a post-entry step. Analysis of deduced amino acid sequences in C2-V5 regions of these isolates has provided a molecular basis for further identification of viral phenotypes of HIV-1 subtype B'. This study has provided valuable information on the biological properties of circulating HIV-1 strains among Chinese FBDs to better understand their viral characteristics and design more appropriate vaccine candidates for FBDs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. cheny@pitt.edu
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chengli
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.forename: Deena
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ratner
authors.forename: Milka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Xinyue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Phalguni
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004261:DNA Replication; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D010641:Phenotype; D015995:Prevalence; D017741:Survivors; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019562:Viral Load; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins