Molecular and biological diversity of HIV-1 in Brazil
Couto-Fernandez, J.C.; Morgado, M.G.; dos Santos, J.I.; Galvão-Castro, B.
Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 87(2): 249-255
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0074-0276 PMID: 1364054 DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02761992000200013Document Number: 334601
AIDS is a very serious public health problem in Brazil, with 19,361 cases officially reported as of August 1991. Since the discovery of HIV as the causative agent of AIDS, several isolates have been obtained and found to be different with respect to their cell infectivity, replication rate, neutralization pattern, and enzyme restriction characteristics. Polymorphic restriction maps have been observed among isolates recovered from the same region or from the same individuals. The authors analyzed five viral isolates obtained from patients living in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Bahia states in their effort to determine the genomic polymorphism and biological properties present in HIV-1 Brazilian isolates. For each isolate, in vitro characteristics such as replication rate, syncytium-inducing capacity, and cell death were observed in lymphoblastoid and monocytoid cells. The evaluation of the restriction fragment length polymorphism of the isolates was also performed using a panel of endonucleases. An isolate from Rio de Janeiro demonstrated the comparatively highest phenotypic and genotypic divergence. These results suggest the existence of an HIV heterogeneity in Brazil similar to that already described in other regions of the world.