Biological phenotypes of HIV-1 subtypes A and B strains of diverse origins

✍ Scribed by John N. Nkengasong; Martine Peeters; Ping Zhong; Betty Willems; Wouter Janssens; Leo Heyndrickx; Katrien Fransen; Peter M. Ndumbe; Guy-Michel Gershy-Damet; Patrick Nys; Luc Kestens; Peter Piot; Guido van der Groen

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 770 KB
• Volume: 47
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.1890470315

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The identification of specific biologic phenotypic traits that can be correlated with different HIV‐1 genetic subtypes was sought. The genetic subtypes were determined by either sequencing (Cameroonian strains, n = 18) or by the heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA) (Belgian strains, n = 21 and lvorian strains, n = 25). Seventeen (81%) of the 21 Belgian isolates belonged to subtype B and 4 (17%) were subtype A strains. Subtype A variants were predominant in the two African countries studied; 11 (61%) of 18 strains from Cameroon and 23 (92%) of 25 strains from the Ivory Coast. Of the 64 isolates, 38 (58%) and 19 (29%) belonged to subtypes A and B, respectively. No significant difference was observed for biological phenotypes (slow/low and rapid/high) of both genetic subtypes. In symptomatic individuals, however, a significantly higher number of subtype B isolates were of rapid/high phenotype, compared with subtype A (5 of 10; 50%) vs. 2 of 22; 9%), respectively; X^2^ = 6.7, P = 0.02). The findings suggest that overall HIV‐1 isolates belonging to genetic subtype B are not distinguishable from subtype A variants on the basis of their biological phenotypes. Syncytium‐inducing variants were less prevalent regardless of the geographic origin of the isolates. © Wiley‐Liss, Inc.