AEGiS-12IAC: HIV1 variability in Morocco.

12th International AIDS Conference

Geneva, Switzerland - June 28-July 3, 1998

HIV1 variability in Morocco.

Int Conf AIDS 1998 Jun 28-Jul 3; 12:22-3 (abstract no. 11203)

el Aquad R, el Harti E, Amzazi S, Himmich H, Gluckman JC, Simon F, Benjouad A
Institut National D'Hygiene, IBN Batouta B.P. 769 Rabat, Morocco.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the HIV1 subtypes circulating in Morocco, which is located between Western Europe countries and South African countries where the patterns of HIV1 subtypes are different.

METHODS: 200 sera HIV 1 positive of Moroccan patients living in representative geographic areas of Morocco, were studied by using a peptide specific enzyme immunoassay, which is based on in vitro competition for antibodies binding between peptides of V3 consensus sequences of clades A-F. The immunodominant serotype reactivity was defined by the peptide giving the strongest blocking signal. For the quality control 10 samples were genotyped by using the Heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA). RESULT: 93.50% (187/200) were HIV1 subtype B, 1% (2/200) were subtype A, 0.5 (1/200) were subtype F and 5% (10/200) nontyped. Documented cases showed that the main route of transmission was heterosexuality with 85.5%. Homosexuality, drug use and transfusion represent 4.5%, 1.6%, and 1.6% respectively.

CONCLUSION: The Moroccan HIV1 subtypes profile is similar to Western Europe profile with is predominated by HIV1 subtype B whereas non subtypes B are rare. There is an active exchange between Morocco and Europe through tourism and migrants workers, whereas the exchange with the Southern countries in Africa is less important.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV-1, Serotyping, Immunoenzyme Techniques, Heterosexuality, Morocco, Genotype, Africa, Europe, Africa, Southern, In Vitro, Human, genetics, ICA12
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