12th Annual Conference of the British HIV Association 29 March–1 April 2006, Brighton, UK

INCIDENT NON-B CLADE HIV-1 INFECTION IN WHITE GAY MEN INFECTED IN UK BETWEEN 2000 AND 2005

HIV Med 2006; 7(Suppl. 1):1 (abstract no. O3)

Julie Fox, Simon Dustan, Steve Kaye, Myra McClure and Sarah Fidler
Imperial College, London, UK

AIMS: To investigate the distribution of HIV-1 subtypes among homosexual men with primary HIV infection.

METHODS: Subjects attending a London HIV centre between 2000–2004 were recruited into a primary HIV infection (PHI) study where PHI is defined by one of the following criteria: previous HIV antibody negative within the previous 6 months followed by a subsequent positive result; a negative HIV antibody test in the presence of positive identification of virus by RNA/DNA PCR; an evolving HIV-specific antibody response. All subjects completed sexual behaviour questionnaires and had baseline viral sequencing performed in pol. Viral clade was determined comparing sequences in pol with the Stanford databases. Viral sequences were analysed by phylogenetic trees to determine viral clustering.

RESULTS: 5/140 cases of PHI identified occurred in white gay men infected with non-B clade virus. Of these all had recombinant variants; one transmitting pair, confirmed by sexual history as well as phylogenetic analysis, were both infected with A/E^PRO: D^RT, one with C^PRO:B^RT, one D^PRO:B^RT, and one with CRFO2-AG^PRO:K^RT. All reported sexually acquired infection with partners in the UK.

CONCLUSION: We report five cases of non-B clade HIV-1 infection amongst white gay men recently infected with HIV-1 in London between 2000 and 2005. There is current sexual transmission of multiple subtypes and recombination among white homosexual men in London.

2006-03-29
O3

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