title: Evidence that HIV-1 CRF01_AE is associated with low CD4+T cell count and CXCR4 co-receptor usage in recently infected young men who have sex with men (MSM) in Shanghai, China.
abstract: Men who have sex with men (MSM) have recently accounted for an alarmingly increasing proportion of HIV-1 transmission in China. In order to investigate the immune status as a result of CRF01_AE infection and CXCR4 co-receptor usage in a young Shanghai-based HIV-1-infected MSM population in Shanghai, 364 HIV-1-infected MSM with average age of 22.7 years old, newly diagnosed between Jan 2009 and Jul 2013 were analyzed for CD4+T cell count, subtyping using phylogenetic analysis, and viral co-receptor tropism using Geno2pheno and webPSSM in combination. A total of 276 individuals were identified as recently infected. Subtype assignment were as follows: 176 (63.8%) CRF01_AE, 77 (27.9%) CRF07_BC, and 23 (8.3%) subtype B. Besides, 24 second-generation recombinant strains were identified. A lower CD4+T cell count at baseline survey was observed among CRF01_AE strain-infected individuals, compared to those who were infected with CRF07_BC (P<0.01). The frequency of baseline CD4+T cell count <200 was higher and the frequency of CD4 T counts >500 lower in CRF01_AE infection than CRF07_BC infection. It is worth noting that 32.4%-40.9% of CRF01_AE strain-infected individuals were predicted to carry CXCR4-tropic viruses whereas none of CRF07_BC and subtype B were found to be as CXCR4-tropic viruses (P<0.001). As could be expected CXCR4 tropism was associated with lower CD4 T counts. This study revealed that CRF01_AE strains with high frequency of CXCR4 tropism are prevailing in the young MSM population in China and could potentially cause a severe loss of CD4+T cell count and rapid disease progression. A regular surveillance of HIV-1 subtypes, CD4+T cell count and viral co-receptor usage would be greatly beneficial for effectively monitoring disease progression, improvement of antiretroviral therapy strategy and prompt intervention of transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China ; Public Health College, Nantong University, Nantong, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoshan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yile
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Leiming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xuqin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhen
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Fangwei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gai
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yuqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jiawen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xianming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaopei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Laiyi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Immunovirology Group, Biomedical Science Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vanham
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Minghua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Public Health College, Nantong University, Nantong, China.
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qichao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of AIDS and STD, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Municipal Institutes for Preventive Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002681:China; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C527276:CXCR4 protein, human; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4