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The Transmission and Evolution of HIV-1 Quasispecies within One Couple: a Follow-up Study based on Next-Generation Sequencing.

Author
Abstract
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Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been successfully used to trace HIV-1 infection. In this study, we investigated the transmission and evolution of HIV-1 quasispecies in a couple infected through heterosexual behavior. A heterosexual couple in which both partners were infected with HIV-1 was followed up for 54 months. Blood samples including whole-blood and plasma samples, were collected at various time points. After HIV-1 subtyping, NGS (Miseq platform) was used to sequence the env region of the HIV-1 quasispecies. Genetic distances were calculated, and phylogenetic trees were generated. We found both partners were infected with HIV-1 subtype circulating recombinant form (CRF), CRF65_cpx. The quasispecies distribution was relatively tightly clustered in the phylogenetic tree during early infection. Over time, the distribution of HIV-1 quasispecies gradually became more dispersed at 12th months, with a progressive increase in gene diversity. By 37th months, the sequences obtained for both partners formed different clusters in the phylogenetic tree. These results suggest that the HIV-1 contact tracing results generated by the Miseq platform may be more reliable than other conventional sequencing methods, which can provide important information about the transmission and evolution of HIV-1. Our findings may help to better target preventative interventions for promoting public health.

Year of Publication
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2018
Journal
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Scientific reports
Volume
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8
Issue
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1
Number of Pages
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1404
Date Published
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2018
URL
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-19783-3
DOI
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10.1038/s41598-018-19783-3
Short Title
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Sci Rep
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