AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, July 20, 2009
Staff Medical Writers

(NewsRx.com) -- "The HIV-1 gp41 has been identified as an important target for the immune response, for the development of antiviral and vaccine strategies, and for epidemiologic studies. This study describes the HIV-1 env gp41 region mutations, associated with enfuvirtide (ENF) resistance, in proviral DNA from PBMCs in antiretroviral treatment-naïve individuals from Pune, India," scientists writing in the journal AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses report (see also HIV/AIDS).

"Twenty-one antiretroviral drug-naïve chronically HIV-1-infected individuals were enrolled. The study sequences belonged to subtype C (n = 17), subtype A1 (n = 2), and CR_AE (n = 2). In subtype B-infected individuals, the various HR1 region substitutions in env gp41 that have been associated with ENF resistance include A30V, L33S/T/V, L34M, G36D/E/S/V, 137T/K/V, V38A/M/E/G, Q39R, Q40H, N42T/D, N43D/K/S, L44M, L45M, R46M, L54M, and Q56K/R as well as N126K and S138A in the HR2 region. The study sequences did not reveal any ENF resistance-associated mutations at env gp41 amino acid positions: 36 to 45. The presence of L54M and Q56K in combination is associated with 5-fold reduced sensitivity to inhibition by ENF. The mutation L54M was seen in seven subtype C and two CRF_AE study sequences. Q56K was observed in a subtype A1 sequence. All the study sequences harbored N42S, a natural polymorphism associated with increased susceptibility to ENF. Of the mutations V38A and N140I, known to provide immunologic gain, the latter was observed in four subtype C sequences," wrote S. Sen and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "This is the first study from India highlighting the presence of certain mutations in Indian subtype C env gp41, which may play a role in the evolution of subtype-specific variations in the resistance to ENF and associated immune response.."

Sen and colleagues published their study in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses (Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gp 41 Mutations in Proviral DNA among Antiretroviral Treatment-Naive Individuals from India. AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, 2009;25(5):521-523).

Additional information can be obtained by contacting S. Sen, Armed Forces Med College, Dept. of Microbiology, Sholapur Rd., Pune 411040, Maharashtra, India.

The publisher of the journal AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses can be contacted at: Mary Ann Liebert Inc., 140 Huguenot Street, 3RD FL, New Rochelle, NY 10801, USA.

Keywords: India, Pune, HIV/AIDS, AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Antivirals, Biotechnology, DNA, Drug Resistance, Drugs, Enfuvirtide, Fusion Inhibitor, HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Immunization, Immunology, Pharmaceuticals, Retrovirus, Sexually Transmitted Disease, Treatment, Vaccines, Viral Inhibition, Viral Therapy, Virology.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

Ref: Sen S, Tripathy SP, Sahni AK, et al., “Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gp 41 mutations in proviral DNA among antiretroviral treatment-naive individuals from India”, AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2009 May;25(5):521-3.

2009-07-20
AW090708

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