Phylogenetic evidence of HIV-1 transmission linkage between two men who have sex with men

Virology Journal

Xiaohong Pan¹  Jiafeng Zhang¹  Qin Fan¹  Jiaming Yao¹  Mingyu Luo¹  Xingguang Li² 

[1] Department of HIV/AIDS & STD Control and Prevention, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 3399, Binsheng Road, 310051, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China;Department of Technology R&D, Ningbo Institute of Life and Health Industry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 315000, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China;

关键词: HIV-1;    CRF01_AE;    Men who have sex with men;    Phylogenetic analysis;    Paraphyletic-monophyletic topology;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12985-021-01573-5

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundIn China, an HIV-infected man (complainant; P2) alleged that another man (defendant; P1) had unlawfully infected him with HIV through unprotected homosexual contact in 2018.MethodsWe employed epidemiological, serological and phylogenetic analyses to investigate the transmission linkage between two men who have sex with men (MSM). Partial segments of three HIV-1 gene regions (gag, pol, and env) were amplified and sequenced by cloning. Maximum-likelihood (ML) and Bayesian methods were used to determine the direction and estimate the timing of transmission. Local control sequences and database control sequences were also used in the phylogenetic analysis.ResultsIt indicated that P2 underwent HIV seroconversion after P1 was diagnosed as HIV positive. The time to the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) estimates consistently showed that P1 most likely became HIV-1 infected at an earlier date than P2. P1 and P2 were infected with the same HIV-1 CRF01_AE subtype according to segments of all three gene regions (gag, pol, and env). All three genetic regions of P1 have been subject to more potential selective forces than those of P2, indicating a longer evolutionary history. Bayesian and ML trees showed similar paraphyletic-monophyletic topologies of gag and env, with the virus from P1 located at the root, which supported a P1-to-P2 transmission direction.ConclusionsPhylogenetic investigations can elucidate HIV transmission linkage and might empower its use in the opposition of the intentional transmission of HIV-1 as a forensic tool.

【 授权许可】

CC BY