[Relationship between epidemiology of HIV-1 infection and HIV-1 subtypes in Fujian province]

Abstract

Objective: To explore the relationship of AIDS epidemic and HIV-1 subtype in Fujian province of China based on molecular findings.

Methods: HIV-1 infected persons and patient with AIDS (HIV/AIDS) were identified by AIDS surveillance project in the province. AIDS epidemic situation was estimated by related data collected from the HIV/AIDS cases. HIV-1 C2-V3 region amplified from the PBMC DNA of HIV/AIDS cases was analysed by nucleotide sequencing to identified HIV-1 subtype.

Results: One hundred and eighty-eight cases of HIV/AIDS were found from 1987 to the end of 2000. Among 59 AIDS cases, 53 had died. HIV infection through heterosexual contacts took up 65.4%, including 44.1% of them infected abroad. Out of them, 83.1% were infected in Southeast Asia. Thirty-nine point nine percentage of the total HIV(+) were infected in China, while 9.0% were infected through blood transmission. Sequence analysis from 41 specimens showed that there were 4 kinds of HIV-1 subtypes, including A, B, C and E. Subtype E took up 75.6% (31/41), all infected by heterosexual contacts; subtype B taking up 17.1% (7/41) with most of them infected through blood transmission; subtype A and C were seen only 1 and 2 cases respectively. Gene divergence of innergroup of subtypes E was 12.245% +/- 3.894%, while subtype B was 10.762% +/- 2.707%. The high divergence of subtype E could be attributed to the region and time of infection.

Conclusion: HIV prevalent rate has been increasing in Fujian with major transmission route of heterosexual contact. The dominant strain of HIV-1 was subtype E.