title: Identification of a cluster of HIV-1 controllers infected with low replicating viruses.
abstract: Long term non-progressor patients (LTNPs) are characterized by the natural control of HIV-1 infection. This control is related to host genetic, immunological and virological factors. In this work, phylogenetic analysis of the proviral nucleotide sequences in env gene from a Spanish HIV-1 LTNPs cohort identified a cluster of 6 HIV-1 controllers infected with closely-related viruses. The patients of the cluster showed common clinical and epidemiological features: drug user practices, infection in the same city (Madrid, Spain) and at the same time (late 70's-early 80's). All cluster patients displayed distinct host alleles associated with HIV control. Analysis of the virus envelope nucleotide sequences showed ancestral characteristic, lack of evolution and presence of rare amino-acids. Biological characterization of recombinant viruses with the envelope proteins from the cluster viruses showed very low replicative capacity in TZMbl and U87-CD4/CCR5 cells. The lack of clinical progression in the viral cluster patients with distinct combinations of protective host genotypes, but infected by low replicating viruses, indicate the important role of the virus in the non-progressor phenotype in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Virologia Molecular, Centro Nacional de Microbiología (CNM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casado
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pernas
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sandonis
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alvaro-Cifuentes
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Olivares
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fuentes
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martínez-Prats
authors.forename: Eulalia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: del Romero
authors.forename: Cecilio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: López-Galíndez
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics*; D020276:HIV Long-Term Survivors; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D013030:Spain; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics*; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus