Genetic variants of HIV-1 in Thailand.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Genetic variants of HIV-1 in Thailand.

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1992 Nov;8(11):1887-95. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/93143998
McCutchan FE; Hegerich PA; Brennan TP; Phanuphak P; Singharaj P; Jugsudee A; Berman PW; Gray AM; Fowler AK; Burke DS; Henry M. Jackson Foundation Research Laboratory, Rockville, MD; 20850.

Abstract: Serosurveys conducted prior to 1988 indicated a very low level of HIV-1 infection in Thailand, even among high-risk groups. The Ministry of Health has reported a dramatic increase in HIV-1 infection during the last three years. The geographic and demographic distribution of the epidemic is broad, involving multiple provinces and risk groups. Foci of higher incidence and prevalence have been noted in the urban center of Bangkok and in the northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Here we report the results of genetic characterization of 16 HIV-1 isolates from Thailand using a combination of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) typing and DNA sequencing. The complete sequence of gp160 (env) of five isolates, partial env sequence of six additional isolates, and the gag gene of two isolates were determined. Two highly distinct HIV-1 variants were found. One variant resembled those prevalent in North America and Europe; five of the isolates were of this type. The remaining eleven isolates were very similar to one another and represented a variant unlike any previously described. Phylogenetic tree analysis of complete env and gag genes placed the two variants on widely separated branches. Protein sequence comparisons indicate both general and specific features that distinguish the Northern Thailand variant both from the Bangkok variant and from virtually all previously sequenced HIV-1 isolates. A simple PCR test for distinguishing the two variants has been developed for use in epidemiologic surveys.

Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*MICROBIOLOGY Amino Acid Sequence Base Sequence Comparative Study Cross-Sectional Studies Genes, env/GENETICS Genes, gag/GENETICS Genes, Viral/GENETICS HIV-1/*GENETICS/ISOLATION & PURIF Molecular Sequence Data Phylogeny Polymerase Chain Reaction Sequence Homology, Amino Acid Thailand/EPIDEMIOLOGY Variation (Genetics) JOURNAL ARTICLE
930530
M9350971

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