HIV type 2 protease, reverse transcriptase, and envelope viral variation in the PBMC and genital tract of ARV-naive women in Senegal.

Unique viral variants and resistance mutations may occur in the genital tract of HIV-2 ARV-naive infected women. We sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed protease (PR), reverse transcriptase (RT), and envelope (ENV) from PBMC and genital tract samples from four ARV-naive women in Senegal. HIV-2 protease polymorphisms that predict HIV-1 protease inhibitor (PI) resistance were common.

Lower levels of HIV RNA in semen in HIV-2 compared with HIV-1 infection: implications for differences in transmission.

Background And Objectives: HIV-2 infection, in comparison with HIV-1, is characterized by lower plasma viral loads, slower CD4 cell count decline, decreased AIDS-related mortality, and lower rates of mother-to-child and sexual transmission. To gain further insight into why HIV-1 is more readily transmitted as compared with HIV-2, we analyzed semen and plasma HIV RNA levels in HIV-1 and HIV-2-positive men from Senegal.

Design And Methods: Twenty-two HIV-1 and 10 HIV-2-infected subjects from the University of Dakar donated semen and blood samples for this analysis.