title: Most HIV type 1 non-B infections in the Spanish cohort of antiretroviral treatment-naïve HIV-infected patients (CoRIS) are due to recombinant viruses.
abstract: HIV-1 group M is classified into 9 subtypes, as well as recombinants favored by coinfection and superinfection events with different variants. Although HIV-1 subtype B is predominant in Europe, intersubtype recombinants are increasing in prevalence and complexity. In this study, phylogenetic analyses of pol sequences were performed to detect the HIV-1 circulating and unique recombinant forms (CRFs and URFs, respectively) in a Spanish cohort of antiretroviral treatment-naïve HIV-infected patients included in the Research Network on HIV/AIDS (CoRIS). Bootscanning and other methods were used to define complex recombinants not assigned to any subtype or CRF. A total of 670 available HIV-1 pol sequences from different patients were collected, of which 588 (87.8%) were assigned to HIV-1 subtype B and 82 (12.2%) to HIV-1 non-B variants. Recombinants caused the majority (71.9%) of HIV-1 non-B infections and were found in 8.8% of CoRIS patients. Eleven URFs (accounting for 13.4% of HIV-1 non-B infections), presenting complex mosaic patterns, were detected. Among them, 10 harbored subtype B fragments. Four of the 11 URFs were found in Spanish natives. A cluster of three B/CRF02_AG recombinants was detected. We conclude that complex variants, including unique recombinant forms, are being introduced into Spain through both immigrants and natives. An increase in the frequency of mosaic viruses, reflecting the increasing heterogeneity of the HIV epidemic in our country, is expected.
authors.affiliation: HIV-1 Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory, Microbiology Department, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yebra
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Mulder
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Labarga
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Viciana
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berenguer
authors.forename: María Remedios
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Alemán
authors.forename: Juan Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Africa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holguín
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D054302:pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D054302:pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus