Molecular epidemiological study on HIV/AIDS under the follow-up program in Zhejiang province in 2009 / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the molecular epidemiological characteristics on HIV infectors/AIDS patients (HIV/AIDS) under a follow-up program in Zhejiang province in 2009.Methods 303 cases were randomly sampled.Information on the cases was collected and followed by genomic DNA extraction.Gag gene fragments were amplified by nested PCR,followed by sequencing and bio-informatic analysis.Results The rate of success for sequence acquisition was 74.3％ (225/303).Distributions of HIV subtypes were as followsCRF01_AE (58.7％),CRF07_BC (13.8％),CRF08_BC (9.8％),B' (15.1％),C (1.8％),G (0.4％) and unassigned BC (unique recombinant form 0.4％).Results from the HIV BLAST analysis showed that the sources of strains with the highest homology involved in 10 provinces/municipalities (Liaoning,Guangxi,Yunnan,Henan,etc.) and five other countries (Thailand,Vietnam,India,South Africa and Libya).The CRF01 _AE phylogenetic tree was divided into four clusters.The sequences of HIV/AIDS with homosexual transmission showed a gathering in cluster 1,and mixing with those infected through heterosexual contact.Conclusion Circulating recombinant forms of HIV seemed to play a dominant role in Zhejiang province.Unique recombinant form and new subtype of HIV were found.People living with HIV under homosexual transmission and heterosexual transmission had a trend of interwoven with each other.Increase of both the diversity and complexity of HIV strains were also noticed in Zhejiang province.