AEGiS-15IAC: Transmissibility and disease progression in groups of individuals infected with differents HIV-1 subtypes in Cuba.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Transmissibility and disease progression in groups of individuals infected with differents HIV-1 subtypes in Cuba.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. C10453)

Diaz Torres HM, Lubian Caballero AL, Blanco de Armas M, Rolo Gomez F, Nibot Sanchez C, Joanes Fiol J
AIDS Research Laboratory , Havana , Cuba

BACKGROUND: HIV exhibits an extremely high genetic variation. The implications of this variability in influencing transmissibility and pathogenesis have been reviewed previously. Studies describing differences in transmissibility and pathogenesis of different HIV subtypes are complex due to the many confounding variables. This study included two similar groups of individuals infected in Cuba, one with subtype B and another with non subtype B to compare prospectivility the frequency of clinical outcomes and transmission. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate possible subtype associations with disease progression and transmissibility.

METHODS: Patients with known probable time of infection (400 individuals, 78 women and 322 males) were prospectively followed. Two different methods of HIV subtyping was made: DNA sequencing in the C2-V3 env region and heteroduplex mobility assay (env/gag). Clinical progression was measured for AIDS development or death and prospective follow-up of uninfected sexual contacts of known infected persons was performed. Statistics study included Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS: HIV-1 subtype B and non B infected patients (245 and 155 individuals respectively) were included. The male to male contact sexual was the principal route of transmission (85,7%). In clinical follow-up, the AIDS-free survival curves did not had significant variation between different HIV-1 subtypes. However; the contact tracing in the group of individuals with subtype B was more productive.

CONCLUSION: These results suggest that HIV-1 subtypes in Cuba do not differ in rates of progression to AIDS and subtype B has had transmission rates higher than non subtype B group.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV-1, Disease Progression, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Genes, env, Genes, gag, HIV Seropositivity, Variation (Genetics), Viremia, Infection, Cuba, Humans, Female, Male, transmission, genetics, classification

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