title: Short communication: phylogenetic characterization of HIV type 1 CRF01_AE V3 envelope sequences in pregnant women in Northern Vietnam.
abstract: Characterization of HIV-1 strains is important for surveillance of the HIV-1 epidemic. In Vietnam HIV-1-infected pregnant women often fail to receive the care they are entitled to. Here, we analyzed phylogenetically HIV-1 env sequences from 37 HIV-1-infected pregnant women from Ha Noi (n=22) and Hai Phong (n=15), where they delivered in 2005-2007. All carried CRF01_AE in the gp120 V3 region. In 21 women CRF01_AE was also found in the reverse transcriptase gene. We compared their env gp120 V3 sequences phylogenetically in a maximum likelihood tree to those of 198 other CRF01_AE sequences in Vietnam and 229 from neighboring countries, predominantly Thailand, from the HIV-1 database. Altogether 464 sequences were analyzed. All but one of the maternal sequences colocalized with sequences from northern Vietnam. The maternal sequences had evolved the least when compared to sequences collected in Ha Noi in 2002, as shown by analysis of synonymous and nonsynonymous changes, than to other Vietnamese sequences collected earlier and/or elsewhere. Since the HIV-1 epidemic in women in Vietnam may still be underestimated, characterization of HIV-1 in pregnant women is important to observe how HIV-1 has evolved and follow its molecular epidemiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Rozina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caridha
authors.forename: Tran Thi Thanh
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Simani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaseitsiwe
authors.forename: Pham Viet
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Nguyen Mai
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Anh
authors.forename: Nguyen Huy
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Dinh Duy
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Khang
authors.forename: Nguyen Tran
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Hien
authors.forename: Phung Dac
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Cam
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiodi
authors.forename: Anneka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ehrnst
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D058872:Epidemics; D005260:Female; D015752:Genes, env; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000235:genetics*; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology