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. 2020 Oct 19;12(10):1183.
doi: 10.3390/v12101183.

A Nationwide Study about the Dispersal Patterns of the Predominant HIV-1 Subtypes A1 and B in Greece: Inference of the Molecular Transmission Clusters

Evangelia Georgia Kostaki  1 , Maria Gova  1 , Georgios Adamis  2 , Georgios Xylomenos  2 , Maria Chini  3 , Nikos Mangafas  3 , Marios Lazanas  3 , Simeon Metallidis  4 , Olga Tsachouridou  4 , Vasileios Papastamopoulos  5 , Dimitrios Chatzidimitriou  6 , Eleni Kakalou  5 , Anastasia Antoniadou  7 , Antonios Papadopoulos  7 , Mina Psichogiou  8 , Dimitrios Basoulis  8 , Dimitrios Pilalas  6 , Ifigeneia Papageorgiou  1 , Dimitra Paraskeva  9 , Georgios Chrysos  9 , Vasileios Paparizos  10 , Sofia Kourkounti  10 , Helen Sambatakou  11 , Vasileios Bolanos  11 , Nikolaos V Sipsas  12 , Malvina Lada  13 , Emmanouil Barbounakis  14 , Evrikleia Kantzilaki  14 , Periklis Panagopoulos  15 , Vasilis Petrakis  15 , Stelios Drimis  9 , Charalambos Gogos  16 , Angelos Hatzakis  1 , Apostolos Beloukas  17   18 , Lemonia Skoura  6 , Dimitrios Paraskevis  1
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A Nationwide Study about the Dispersal Patterns of the Predominant HIV-1 Subtypes A1 and B in Greece: Inference of the Molecular Transmission Clusters

Evangelia Georgia Kostaki et al. Viruses. .

Abstract

Our aim was to investigate the dispersal patterns and parameters associated with local molecular transmission clusters (MTCs) of subtypes A1 and B in Greece (predominant HIV-1 subtypes). The analysis focused on 1751 (28.4%) and 2575 (41.8%) sequences of subtype A1 and B, respectively. Identification of MTCs was based on phylogenetic analysis. The analyses identified 38 MTCs including 2-1518 subtype A1 sequences and 168 MTCs in the range of 2-218 subtype B sequences. The proportion of sequences within MTCs was 93.8% (1642/1751) and 77.0% (1982/2575) for subtype A1 and B, respectively. Transmissions within MTCs for subtype A1 were associated with risk group (Men having Sex with Men vs. heterosexuals, OR = 5.34, p < 0.001) and Greek origin (Greek vs. non-Greek origin, OR = 6.05, p < 0.001) and for subtype B, they were associated with Greek origin (Greek vs. non-Greek origin, OR = 1.57, p = 0.019), younger age (OR = 0.96, p < 0.001), and more recent sampling (time period: 2011-2015 vs. 1999-2005, OR = 3.83, p < 0.001). Our findings about the patterns of across and within country dispersal as well as the parameters associated with transmission within MTCs provide a framework for the application of the study of molecular clusters for HIV prevention.

Keywords: Greece; dispersal patterns; human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); local transmission; molecular epidemiology; phylogenetic analysis; phylogeographic analysis; transmission clusters.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Unrooted phylogenetic trees estimated by RAxML v8.2.10 of HIV-1 subtype A1 sequences from Greece and a global reference dataset. (a) Sequences from Greece are marked in light green (unclustered sequences) and red (sequences found within local molecular transmission clusters-MTCs) in contrast with sequences from other countries marked in blue. (b) The MTCs are indicated as triangles.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Unrooted phylogenetic trees estimated by RAxML v8.2.10 of HIV-1 subtype B sequences from Greece and a global reference dataset. (a) Sequences from Greece are marked in light green (unclustered sequences) and red (sequences found within local molecular transmission clusters-MTCs) in contrast with sequences from other countries marked in blue. (b) The MTCs are indicated as triangles.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Unrooted phylogenetic tree estimated by RAxML v8.2.10 of HIV-1 subtype A1 sequences from Greece that fell within the large single molecular transmission cluster (MTC). Sequences from Central/Southern Greece are marked in light blue, sequences from Northern Greece in orange, and sequences from Crete in dark green. Clusters consisting of sequences from Northern Greece and Crete are indicated as triangles.
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