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FINLAY ALBARRAN
High genetic diversity in HIV-type 1 in Jamaica. Central African Strain prevalent in the island of Cuba.
Heslop OD,
Smikle MF,
Vickers IE,
Christian NA,
Harvey KM,
Figueroa JP,
Brown SE,
Christie CD,
Bain B,
Barton EN.
Source
Department of
Microbiology, The University of the West Indies,
Kingston 7, Jamaica, West Indies. glenheslop@yahoo.com
Abstract
The subtypes of the
human immunodeficiency virus - type 1 (HIV-1)
strains from 54 HIV-1 - infected persons including
44 strains which were typed previously by
heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA) were determined by
DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Of 54 HIV-
infected persons, 92.5% were infected with HIV-1
subtype B and 7.5% with other HIV-1 subtypes
including subtypes D (3.7%), A (1.9%) and J (1.9%).
In the phylogenetic analysis, the subtype A virus
found in the sample clustered with subtype A
reference strains and a circulating recombinant form
(CRF) reference strain which originates in Central
Africa and is circulating in Cuba indicating a close
relationship between these viruses. There was 86%
concordance between HMA and DNA sequencing in
assigning subtype B viruses. For the non-B subtype
viruses, there was less concordance between the two
methods (67%). The results confirm the predominance
of HIV-1 subtype B strains and the high genetic
diversity of HIV-1 strains in circulation in
Jamaica. The efficacies and some limitations of the
HMA as a method of HIV-1 subtyping also were noted.
It is important that the HIV/AIDS epidemic in
Jamaica be monitored meticulously for possible
expansions in non-B subtypes and the emergence of
inter-subtype recombinant forms. We recommend that
the more expensive DNA sequencing and phylogenetic
analysis, including HIV-1 genotyping for
antiretroviral drug resistance testing, be used as
an adjunct to the more cost-effective HMA to track
the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Jamaica.
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