Dynamics and molecular evolution of HIV-1 strains in Sicily among antiretroviral naïve patients

Abstract

This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues.Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. CRF02_AG was the prevalent non-B clade (n = 28/48, 58.3%), while subtype C-related strains were responsible for about 30% HIV-1 infections. In most cases authorsNon-B viruses strictly associated with heterosexual transmission (85.4%) and were mostly found among immigrants (77.1%). Phylogenetic analysis of non-B sequences found in foreign-born subjects was geographically correlated to the respective country of origin. Moreover, the detection of non-B viral variants in the autochthonous population may support an increasing genetic diversity in Sicily as well as a local circulation of HIV strains also uncommon in our country.In Sicily, HIV-1 epidemic is still mostly attributable to the B subtype. Nevertheless, migration and population movements are progressively introducing novel HIV-1 subtypes causing a continuous increase of HIV-1 molecular dynamic at local level. Molecular surveillance is needed to monitor the genetic evolution of HIV-1 epidemic.

A systematic review of post-migration acquisition of HIV among migrants from countries with generalised HIV epidemics living in Europe: mplications for effectively managing HIV prevention programmes and policy

“…• Origin of the virus (P = 0.0004): Belgium (19) Subtype B = 16; Non-B = 3; Other (22) Subtype B = 3; Non-B = 19 • No association between nationality and subtype (P = 0.06).SD: +++ V: ++ G: ++ OS: ++Small sample size. Disproportionate numbers of female non-Belgians than male non-Belgians in the study population may have introduced a bias.Tramuto et al (2013) [23] Proportion of non-B subtypes:, 107 (69.0 %) were infected with B strains, whereas non-B subtypes were detected in 48 subjects (31.0 %).Only 9.7 % (n = 11/113) of Italian-born subjects were infected with non-B HIV-1 variants. 3 (7.9 %) Africans were infected with B subtypes.…”

“…Most studies used molecular epidemiology to describe the distribution of non-B subtypes and HIV transmission networks, and in so doing provide estimates of sexual mixing. These studies show that non-B subtypes are prevalent among people born within and outside Europe: in Switzerland, the proportion of non-B subtype virus increased from 22 % in 1996 to 33 % in 2009 [20]; Holguin et al (2007) [21] found that 53 % of migrants and 14 % of native Spaniards in their study in Grand Canary were infected with non-B strains; Snoeck et al (2002) reported a small number of non-B subtypes originated in Belgium (16 %) [22]; in Italy Tramuto et al (2013) estimate that less than one in ten Italian-born individuals in their study were living with non-B HIV-1 subtypes [23]. More detailed analysis from Lai et al (2013) showed that country of origin was independently associated with the probability of patients being detected in epidemiological clusters, although patients from countries with a generalised epidemic were less likely to be detected than those from Italy or South America [24].…”

HIV-1 subtype diversity and phylogenetic insight into non-B subtype transmission in Slovenia, 1989-2013

“…This could still be an understatement because in 44% of non-B-infected patients the country of infection was unknown. Studies conducted in other countries have also shown that the non-B epidemic is maintained by frequent introduction from many geographic sources-namely, immigration from countries with high HIV-1 prevalence (sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia) and travel throughout the world-resulting in increasing spread of non-B variants (6,8,59,61,(63)(64)(65)(66)(67)(68)(69). Interestingly, a study conducted in Croatia, a country neighboring Slovenia, found that in particular seamen (labor migrants) and their steady sexual partners were introducing non-B subtypes into the country (65).…”

“…Many studies have reported that immigrants from countries with high HIV-1 prevalence are increasing its diversification in regions where subtype B is most prevalent. For example, in Sicily, Italy, a very low proportion (9.7%) of natives were found to be infected with non-B subtypes (66).…”

Molecular tools for studying HIV transmission in sexual networks

“…Definitions of phylogenetic clusters vary widely in the HIV literature, though many studies use both clade support and genetic distance cutoffs (Table 2)[57-76]. Rationale for cutoffs is rarely provided; however, these decisions may affect study inferences.…”