Publications by authors named "Johana Hezka Rodosthenous"
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) epidemic has been a major public health threat on a global scale since the early 1980s. Despite the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), the incidence of new HIV-1 infections continues to rise in some regions around the world. Thus, with the continuous transmission of HIV-1 and the lack of a cure, it is imperative for molecular epidemiological studies to be performed, to monitor the infection and ultimately be able to control the spread of this virus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecular investigations of the HIV-1 region (2253-5250 in the HXB2 genome) were conducted on sequences obtained from 331 individuals infected with HIV-1 in Cyprus between 2017 and 2021. This study unveiled four distinct HIV-1 putative transmission clusters, encompassing 19 previously unidentified HIV-1 recombinants. These recombinants, each comprising eight, three, four, and four sequences, respectively, did not align with previously established Circulating Recombinant Forms (CRFs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThroughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has continuously evolved, resulting in new variants, some of which possess increased infectivity, immune evasion, and virulence. Such variants have been denoted by the World Health Organization as variants of concern (VOC) because they have resulted in an increased number of cases, posing a strong risk to public health. Thus far, five VOCs have been designated, Alpha (B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess the accuracy of HIV-1 phylogenies by developing a near-full-length HIV-1 genome RT-PCR assay and comparing phylogenetic analyses based on different genome regions.
- A total of 134 HIV-1-infected patients in Cyprus were analyzed, revealing that 39.6% had discrepancies in the first genome region and 28.4% in the second, with the REGA 3.0 tool showing the fewest discrepancies.
- Further sequencing of 'discrepant samples' identified a significant portion as uncharacterized recombinant strains, suggesting that longer genome sequences can reduce discrepancies in phylogenetic evaluations.
Article Synopsis
- A study of HIV-1 sequences from 269 infected patients in Cyprus between 2017-2021 uncovered a transmission cluster of 14 new HIV-1 recombinants, distinct from previously identified CRFs.
- The researchers successfully analyzed near full-length genomes of 11 recombinants, revealing a unique mosaic pattern with several recombination breakpoints and leading to the classification of a novel CRF called CRF91_cpx.
- The ongoing transmission cluster has grown with additional patient samples, indicating that this new variant continues to spread within the population.
Emerging infectious viruses have led to global advances in the development of specific and sensitive detection techniques. Viruses have an inherent potential to easily mutate, presenting major hurdles for diagnostics and requiring methods capable of detecting genetically diverse viral strains. One such infectious agent is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged in December 2019 and has resulted in the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
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