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HIV-1 Diversity in Brazil: Genetic, Biologic, and Immunologic Characterization of HIV-1 Strains in Three Potential HIV Vaccine Evaluation Sites

2000; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 23; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/00042560-200002010-00011

1944-7884

Vera Bongertz, Dumith Chequer Bou‐Habib, Luís Fernando de Macedo Brígido, Marcos Montani Caseiro, P. J. N. Chequer, José Carlos Couto-Fernandez, Paulo César Peregrino Ferreira, Bernardo Galvão‐Castro, Donatella Greco, Monick Lindenmeyer Guimarães, M. I. Linhares de Carvalho, Mariza Gonçalves Morgado, Carmem Aparecida de Freitas Oliveira, Saladin Osmanov, Carlos Alberto do Nascimento Ramos, Marika Rossini, Éster Cerdeira Sabino, Amílcar Tanuri, Minoru Ueda,

HIV/AIDS drug development and treatment

Summary: The Brazilian Network for HIV Isolation and Characterization was established for the surveillance of HIV variability in Brazil. Here, we report characterization of HIV strains and virus-specific immune responses from 35 clinical samples collected from three potential HIV vaccine sites. Three genetic subtypes of HIV-1 were identified by heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA) B (in 82.9% of the samples), F (14.3%), and C (2.9%). Phylogenetic analysis based on the C2V3/env DNA sequence from all 25 specimens examined was 100% concordant with HMA results. Four variants of subtype B with different tetrapeptides at the tip of the V3 loop were found: the GPGR motif (North American), GWGR motif (Brazilian B”), and two minor variants, GFGR and GPGS, as previously detected. No significant association was found between HIV-1 subtypes and the mode of transmission or biologic properties of HIV-1 isolates (derived from 88.6% of the specimens). Only 5 of 16 isolates studied were neutralized by the autologous sera. Consistent with previous results, no relation between viral subtype and peptide enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) seroreactivity or neutralization was evident. This study also demonstrated the effectiveness of the collaborative approach followed by Brazilian scientists when addressing a complex subject such as HIV variability.