HIV GENOTYPING IN MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN AND HETEROSEXUAL MEN IN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

PANDO M,; RUSSELL, K;; MAULEN S,; NEGRETE M,; GÓMEZ CARRILLO M,; CARR, J.K.; AVILA M

Buenos Aires

Conferencia; The 1st IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and treatment-; 2001

International AIDS Society

Background: Recent work in genetic subtyping performed in our laboratory demonstrated that recombinant B/F subtype is prevalent among heterosexual women, co-circulating together with B and F subtypes. HIV genotyping in different populations seems necessary to better understand the complexity of HIV diversity in Argentine population. The current study was designed and carried out to determine the HIV genetic clades circulating in men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexual men (HM). Patients and Methods: 96 HIV+ MSM and 41 HIV+ HM were included in the study during 1999-2001. Consent and questionnaires regarding sexual practices were completed. A sample of anticoagulated blood was collected for peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) isolation. These cells were used for genotype determination. Genotypes were assigned by Heteroduplex Mobility Assay (HMA) through a process of nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of selected fragments of the env gene. Results: Level of education was significantly higher among MSM (p<0.0000000) while sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV and use of condom were almost the same for both groups. When intravenous drug use was compared, it was significantly more frequent among HM (p<0.0003). So far, HMA analysis was successfully completed for 35 MSM and 41 HM. In MSM genotype B was found in 91.4% (32/35) and genotype F in 8.6% (3/35), while in HM genotype B was found in 26.8% (11/41) and genotype F in 73.2% (30/41) (p<0.0000000). Discussion: The results showed that the prevalence of subtypes was very different in the two populations. Previous sequencing studies performed in our laboratory demonstrated a high prevalence of B/F inter-subtype recombinants (87.5%) when HMA subtypes were F (76%) and B (24%). Therefore, if vaccine trials are to be considered, further studies on different at risk populations as well as sequencing of genome should be continued. different at risk populations as well as sequencing of genome should be continued.