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CRF19_CPX IS AN EVOLUTIONARY FIT HIV-1 VARIANT STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH RAPID PROGRESSION TO AIDS IN CUBA.
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Abstract
Background: Clinicians reported an increasing trend of rapid progression (RP) (AIDS within 3 years of infection)
in Cuba.
Methods: Recently infected patientswere prospectively sampled, 52 RP at AIDS diagnosis (AIDS-RP) and 21without
AIDS in the same time frame (non-AIDS). 22 patients were sampled at AIDS diagnosis (chronic-AIDS) retrospectively
assessed as N3 years infected. Clinical, demographic, virological, epidemiological and immunological
data were collected. Pol and env sequenceswere used for subtyping, transmission cluster analysis, and prediction
of resistance, co-receptor use and evolutionary fitness. Host, immunological and viral predictors of RP were explored
through data mining.
Findings: Subtyping revealed 26 subtype B strains, 6 C, 6 CRF18_cpx, 9 CRF19_cpx, 29 BG-recombinants and other subtypes/
URFs. All patients infected with CRF19 belonged to the AIDS-RP group. Data mining identified CRF19, oral candidiasis
and RANTES levels as the strongest predictors of AIDS-RP. CRF19 was more frequently predicted to use the
CXCR4 co-receptor, had higher fitness scores in the protease region, and patients had higher viral load at diagnosis.
Interpretation: CRF19 is a recombinant of subtype D (C-part of Gag, PR, RT and nef), subtype A (N-part of Gag,
Integrase, Env) and subtype G (Vif, Vpr, Vpu and C-part of Env). Since subtypes D and A have been associated with
respectively faster and slower disease progression, our findings might indicate a fit PR driving high viral load,
which in combination with co-infections may boost RANTES levels and thus CXCR4 use, potentially explaining the
fast progression. We propose that CRF19 is evolutionary very fit and causing rapid progression to AIDS in many
newly infected patients in Cuba.
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