title: HIV-1 subtype B: Traces of a pandemic.
abstract: Human migration is a major process that shaped the origin and dissemination of HIV. Within HIV-1, subtype B (HIV-1B) is the most disseminated variant and it is assumed to be the causative agent in approximately 11% of all cases of HIV worldwide. Phylogenetic studies have revealed that HIV-1B emerged in Kinshasa (Africa) and was introduced into the Caribbean region via Haiti in or around 1966 by human migration. After localized dispersion, the virus was brought to the United States of America via homosexual/bisexual contact around 1969. Inside USA, the incidence of HIV-1B infection increased exponentially and it became established in the population, affecting not only homosexual individuals but also heterosexual individuals and injecting drug users. Soon after, the virus was disseminated and became established in other regions, including Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. Recent studies suggest that, in addition to this pandemic clade, several lineages have emerged from Haiti and reached other Caribbean and Latin American countries via short-distance dissemination. Different subtype B genetic variants have also been detected in these epidemics. Four genetic variants have been described to date: subtype B', which mainly circulates in Thailand and other Asian countries; a specific variant mainly found in Trinidad and Tobago; the GPGS variant, which is primarily detected in Korea; and the GWGR variant, which is mainly detected in Brazil. This paper reviews the evolution of HIV-1B and its impact on the human population.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CDCT), Fundação Estadual de Produção e Pesquisa em Saúde (FEPPS), Avenida Ipiranga, 5400 - Jd Botânico, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9800 - Agronomia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Centro Universitário Ritter dos Reis - UniRitter, Departamento de Ciências da Saúde, Avenida Orfanotrófio, 555 - Teresópolis, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: dennismaletich@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Dennis Maletich
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Junqueira
authors.affiliation: Centro de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CDCT), Fundação Estadual de Produção e Pesquisa em Saúde (FEPPS), Avenida Ipiranga, 5400 - Jd Botânico, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9800 - Agronomia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade FEEVALE, Rodovia RS 239, 2755 - Vila Nova, Novo Hamburgo, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: sabrina.gene@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sabrina Esteves de Matos
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Almeida
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D014943:Global Health; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny
keywords: Dissemination; Epidemiology; Genetic variability; HIV-1 subtype B