Variability in HIV-1 partial genomic sequences in Costa Rican patients: analysis with different bioinformatics tools.

Objective: To estimate subtype and genomic variability in the HIV pol gene of Costa Rican patients by using different bioinformatics tools and to use this information to establish new policies to better manage these patients.

Methods: A total of 113 pol sequences available from Costa Rican patients under highly active antiretroviral therapy were analyzed by using the Genotyping, REGA, Stanford, and MEGA programs. The pol sequences came from 77 virologic failures (VF) and 36 basal samples (BS).

Study of antiretroviral mutants in HIV patients with treatment failures and the effect of risk factors in the virological failures.

Introduction: Information about HIV phenotypes of resistant to available ART and the influence of different risk factors on virological failures (VF) in Costa Rican HIV positive patients prior or during HAART is unknown.

Materials And Methods: Eighty nine samples, 72 VF and 17 basal (before treatment) were analyzed by examining resistant mutants in reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease (PT) regions using Trugene or LIPA genotyping kits. Sixty eight control patients were selected and relevant information was collected in a questionnaire.

Determination of human cytomegalovirus genetic diversity in different patient populations in Costa Rica.

Seroprevalence of HCMV in Costa Rica is greater than 95% in adults; primary infections occur early in life and is the most frequent congenital infection in newborns. The objectives of this study were to determine the genetic variability and genotypes of HCMV gB gene in Costa Rica. Samples were collected from alcoholics, pregnant women, blood donors, AIDS patients, hematology-oncology (HO) children and HCMV isolates from neonates with cytomegalic inclusion disease.