Baseline HIV-1 tropism prediction in advanced immune suppressed patients: evidence of CXCR4 viruses in IDUs infected with recombinant forms

Excerpt

Until 2011, the main risk factor for the spread of HIV-1 in Romanian adult population was heterosexual contact. More recently, the number of HIV-1 new cases among IDUs significantly increased. This new subepidemic is characterized by circulation of particular forms of infective strains (CRF14_BG), high prevalence of HCV co-infections and infective endocarditis. Genotypic methods are currently used for testing viral tropism in HIV infected patients. Deep sequencing proved to have much higher sensitivity than population sequencing in detecting minority - CXCR4 tropic viruses. Previous studies suggested that the presence of CXCR4 phenotype at baseline is frequently associated with a faster disease progression. The aim of the study was to evaluate the viral tropism at the moment of HIV diagnostic in IDU patients. …