title: HIV-1 subtype C is not associated with higher risk of heterosexual HIV-1 transmission: a multinational study among HIV-1 serodiscordant couples.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  HIV-1 subtype C has emerged as the most prevalent strain of HIV-1 worldwide, leading to speculation that subtype C may be more transmissible than other subtypes. We compared the risk of HIV-1 transmission for subtype C versus non-C subtypes (A, D, G and recombinant forms) among heterosexual African HIV-1 serodiscordant couples.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a nested case-control analysis using data from two prospective cohort studies of heterosexual HIV-1 serodiscordant couples from six countries in eastern and southern Africa. Cases (N = 121) included incident HIV-1 transmissions that were established as linked within the serodiscordant partnership by viral sequencing; controls (N = 501) were nontransmitting HIV-1-infected partners. Subtype was determined for partial env and gag genes. Multiple logistic regression controlled for age and gender of the HIV-1-nfected partner and self-reported unprotected sex. Plasma and genital HIV-1 RNA concentrations were compared between subtype C and non-C subtypes using generalized estimating equations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HIV-1 subtype C was not associated with increased risk of HIV-1 transmission compared with non-C subtypes: env adjusted odds ratio (adjOR) 1.14 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74-1.75, P = 0.6] and gag adjOR 0.98 (95% CI 0.63-1.52, P = 0.9). Plasma and genital HIV-1 RNA levels did not differ significantly for subtype C versus non-C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a geographically diverse population of heterosexual African HIV-1 serodiscordant couples, subtype C was not associated with greater risk of HIV-1 transmission compared with non-C subtypes, arguing against the hypothesis that subtype C is more transmissible compared with other common subtypes.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Epidemiology bDepartment of Global Health cDepartment of Medicine dDepartment of Pediatrics eDepartment of Microbiology fDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington gVaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA hKenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya iDepartment of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA jDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Nairobi & Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya kLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kahle
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Jairam
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lingappa
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Donnell
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Celum
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ondondo
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mujugira
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fife
authors.forename: Nelly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mugo
authors.forename: Saidi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kapiga
authors.forename: James I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Mullins
authors.forename: Jared M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baeten
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000351:Africa, Eastern; D000353:Africa, Southern; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus