title: Distinct circulating recombinant HIV-1 strains among injecting drug users and sex workers in Afghanistan.
abstract: Little information is available regarding a circulating HIV genotype among high-risk groups in Afghanistan; we describe HIV genotypes among injecting drug users (IDUs) and sex workers (SWs) in four Afghan cities. Participants completed behavioral questionnaires and HIV testing. Western blot-confirmed specimens had peripheral mononuclear blood cells isolated for genotyping. Analysis of recombinants was done by bootscanning and manual sequence alignment. The single SW sample harbored a CRF01_AE strain. Of 10 IDUs available for analysis, all were CRF35_AD and from Hirat. Analyzed subregions (gag p17 and env C1-C5) revealed close homology between the Hirat specimens. Three distinct subclusters comprising two or three strains were identified, whereas two other strains were generally equidistant from previously identified Kabul strains. Results suggest that the nascent HIV epidemic among IDUs in Hirat is largely, if not entirely, subtype CRF35_AD, and the close homology suggests recent infection; harm reduction should be supported to avert further transmission.
authors.affiliation: United States Military HIV Research Program, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sanders-Buell
authors.forename: Meera
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bose
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nasir
authors.forename: Catherine S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: M Raza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Stanekzai
authors.forename: Sodsai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tovanabutra
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Steffanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Strathdee
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tjaden
authors.forename: Nelson L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Michael
authors.forename: Francine E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: McCutchan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000346:Afghanistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D011477:Sex Work; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*