Epidemiology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Epidemiology, including details on twin studies, statistics, environmental and genetic factors.

Molecular epidemiology of the heterosexual HIV-1 transmission in Kunming, Yunnan Province of China suggests origin from the local IDU epidemic.

Li XJ, Kusagawa S, Xia X, Yang C, Wang Q, Yokota Y, Hoshina Y, Onogi T, Nohtomi K, Imamura Y, Shiino T, Yang R, Yamamoto N, Ben K, Takebe Y

Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Epidemiology, AIDS Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.

Molecular epidemiological investigation was conducted among injecting drug users (IDUs) (n = 11) and heterosexuals (n = 15) in Kunming, Yunnan Province of China. HIV-1 genotypes were determined based on the nucleotide sequences of 2.6-kb gag-RT region. The distribution of genotypes among IDUs was as follows: CRF07_BC (5/11) and CRF08_BC (5/11); subtype B' (1/11). Similarly, a majority of Kunming heterosexuals (14/15) were infected with CRF07_BC (4/15), CRF08_BC (6 /15), or subtype B' (4/15), known to predominate among IDUs in China. This contrasts with trends in the coastal regions of China and surrounding southeastern Asian countries, where CRF01_AE predominates among heterosexuals. The heterosexual HIV-1 epidemic in Kunming thus appears to derive from the local IDU epidemic. Of note, subtype B' was the most prevalent strain among heterosexuals before 1997, while CRF07_BC and CRF08_BC became predominant in 2002, indicating a transition of HIV-1 genotype distribution between the early and the more recent samples from Kunming heterosexuals.

Published 2 January 2006 in AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses, 21(11): 977-80.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Epidemiology Research Today. All Rights Reserved.