Molecular Epidemiology of Early and Acute HIV Type 1 Infections in the United States Navy and Marine Corps, 2005–2010

Authors

Richard A. Heipertz, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Eric Sanders-Buell, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Gustavo Kijak, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Shana Howell, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Michelle Lazzaro, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Linda L. Jagodzinski, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
John Eggleston, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Sheila Peel, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Jennifer Malia, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Adam Armstrong, Navy Marine Corps Public Health Center
Nelson L. Michael, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Jerome H. Kim, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Robert J. O'Connell, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Paul T. Scott, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
David Brett-Major, University of Nebraska Medical CenterFollow
Sodsai Tovanabutra, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Document Type

Article

Journal Title

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses

Publication Date

2013

Volume

29

Abstract

The U.S. military represents a unique population within the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) pandemic. The last comprehensive study of HIV-1 in members of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (Sea Services) was completed in 2000, before large-scale combat operations were taking place. Here, we present molecular characterization of HIV-1 from 40 Sea Services personnel who were identified during their seroconversion window and initially classified as HIV-1 negative during screening. Protease/reverse transcriptase (pro/rt) and envelope (env) sequences were obtained from each member of the cohort. Phylogenetic analyses were carried out on these regions to determine relatedness within the cohort and calculate the most recent common ancestor for the related sequences. We identified 39 individuals infected with subtype B and one infected with CRF01_AE. Comparison of the pairwise genetic distance of Sea Service sequences and reference sequences in the env and pro/rt regions showed that five samples were part of molecular clusters, a group of two and a group of three, confirmed by single genome amplification. Real-time molecular monitoring of new HIV-1 acquisitions in the Sea Services may have a role in facilitating public health interventions at sites where related HIV-1 infections are identified.

DOI Link

10.1089/AID.2013.0087

ISSN

1931-8405

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 License.

Rights

U.S. Government Work

Recommended Citation

Heipertz, Richard A.; Sanders-Buell, Eric; Kijak, Gustavo; Howell, Shana; Lazzaro, Michelle; Jagodzinski, Linda L.; Eggleston, John; Peel, Sheila; Malia, Jennifer; Armstrong, Adam; Michael, Nelson L.; Kim, Jerome H.; O'Connell, Robert J.; Scott, Paul T.; Brett-Major, David; and Tovanabutra, Sodsai, "Molecular Epidemiology of Early and Acute HIV Type 1 Infections in the United States Navy and Marine Corps, 2005–2010" (2013). Journal Articles: Epidemiology. 99.
https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/coph_epidem_articles/99