Genotypic Variability of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Gene from Long-Term Antiretroviral-Experienced Patients in Kenya.
There is continuous need to track genetic profiles of HIV strains circulating in different geographic settings to hasten vaccine discovery and inform public health and intervention policies. We partially sequenced the reverse transcriptase region of the HIV-1 pol gene from a total of 54 Kenyan patients aged 18-56 years who continued highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) for between 8 and 102 months. Subtyping was done using both the JPHMM tool and phylogenetic method. HIV-1 subtype A1 was the predominant strain in circulation, representing 57.4% and 70.4% of all isolates as determined by JPHMM and phylogenetic methods, respectively. Subtypes D (14.8%, 7.4%), C (5.6%, 9.3%), and A2 (0%, 5.6%) were determined at respective prevalence by both methods. JPHMM identified 22.2% of the isolates as recombinants. This surveillance focused on the RT gene and reaffirms the predominance of subtype A and an increasing proportion of recombinant strains in the Kenyan epidemic.
1 Center for Research in Therapeutic Sciences, Strathmore University , Nairobi, Kenya .
Timothy J
TJ
Nzomo
Rose C
RC
Kitawi
Ruth S
RS
Mwatelah
Rashid
R
Aman
Maureen J
MJ
Kimulwo
Geoffrey
G
Masankwa
Javan
J
Okendo
Raphael M
RM
Lwembe
Bernhards
B
Ogutu
Anne
A
Muigai
Washingtone
W
Ochieng
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase / Q000235:genetics*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D055815:Young Adult
D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; C514824:reverse transcriptase, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase