Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of viral isolates from HIV-1 subtype C-infected children with slow and rapid disease progression
Choge, I.; Cilliers, T.; Walker, P.; Taylor, N.; Phoswa, M.; Meyers, T.; Viljoen, J.; Violari, A.; Gray, G.; Moore, P.L.; Papathanosopoulos, M.; Morris, L.
Aids Research and Human Retroviruses 22(5): 458-465
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0889-2229 PMID: 16706624 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2006.22.458
Accession: 012124484
The genotypes and biological phenotypes of HIV-1 isolates obtained from 40 perinatally infected children in South Africa were analyzed. This included 15 infants who had HIV-related symptoms, most of whom died within 2 years of birth (rapid progressors), and 25 children who survived between 4 and 9 years with varying signs of disease (slow progressors). Heteroduplex mobility assays and sequence analysis confirmed that within the env and gag regions, all isolates were HIV-1 subtype C. Viral isolates from 14 of the 15 rapid progressors used the CCR5 coreceptor, whereas 1 (02ZARP1) used both the CXCR4 and CCR5 coreceptors. Among the 25 slow progressors, 22 isolates used CCR5 only, 2 used CXCR4 only, and 1 used both CCR5 and CXCR4. Two of the slow-progressing children who harbored CXCR4-using viruses had AIDS. All four CXCR4-using viruses had genotypic changes in the V3 region previously shown to be associated with CXCR4 usage. This cross-sectional study shows that HIV-1 subtype C viruses from both rapid- and slow-progressing perinatally infected children used predominantly CCR5. Similar to adults, CXCR4 usage was uncommon among HIV-1 subtype C isolates from pediatric infections.