Phylodynamic evolution of HIV-1 A6 sub-subtype epidemics in Poland.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) A6 sub-subtype is highly prevalent in Eastern Europe. Over the past decade, the dissemination of the A6 lineage has been expanding in Poland. The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine may further escalate the spread of this sub-subtype. While evolutionary studies using viral sequences have been instrumental in identifying the HIV epidemic patterns, the origins, and dynamics of the A6 sub-subtype in Poland remain to be explored. We analyzed 1185 HIV-1 A6 pol sequences from Poland, along with 8318 publicly available sequences from other countries. For analyses, phylogenetic tree construction, population dynamics inference, Bayesian analysis, and discrete phylogeographic modeling were employed. Of the introduction events to Poland, 69.94% originated from Ukraine, followed by 29.17% from Russia. Most A6 sequences in Poland (53.16%) formed four large clades, with their introductions spanning 1993-2008. Central and Southern Polish regions significantly influenced migration events. Transmissions among men who have sex with men (MSM) emerged as the dominant risk group for virus circulation, representing 72.92% of migration events. Sequences from migrants were found primarily outside the large clades. Past migration from Ukraine has fueled the spread of the A6 sub-subtype and the current influx of war-displaced people maintains the growing national epidemic.

Circulation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 A6 Variant in the Eastern Border of the European Union-Dynamics of the Virus Transmissions Between Poland and Ukraine.

BACKGROUND: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 A6 variant is dominating in high-prevalence Eastern European countries, with increasing prevalence over the remaining regions of Europe. The recent war in Ukraine may contribute to further introductions of this A6 lineage. Our aim was to model the transmission dynamics of the HIV-1 A6 variant between Poland and Ukraine. METHODS: HIV-1 A6 partial pol sequences originating from Poland (n = 1185) and Ukraine (n = 653) were combined with publicly available sequences (n = 7675) from 37 other countries. We used maximum likelihood-based tree estimation followed by a bayesian inference strategy to characterize the putative transmission clades. Asymmetric discrete phylogeographic analysis was used to identify the best-supported virus migration events across administrative regions of Poland and Ukraine. RESULTS: We identified 206 clades (n = 1362 sequences) circulating in Poland or Ukraine (63 binational clades, 79 exclusively Polish, and 64 exclusively Ukrainian). Cross-border migrations were almost exclusively unidirectional (from Ukraine to Poland, 99.4%), mainly from Eastern and Southern Ukraine (Donetsk, 49.7%; Odesa, 17.6% regions) to the Central (Masovian, 67.3%; Lodz, 18.2%) and West Pomeranian (10.1%) districts of Poland. The primary sources of viral dispersal were the Eastern regions of Ukraine, long affected by armed conflict, and large population centers in Poland. CONCLUSIONS: The Polish outbreak of the A6 epidemic was fueled by complex viral migration patterns across the country, together with cross-border transmissions from Ukraine. There is an urgent need to include war-displaced people in the national HIV prevention and treatment programs to reduce the further spread of transmission networks.

The Rysto immune receptor recognises a broadly conserved feature of potyviral coat proteins.

Knowledge of the immune mechanisms responsible for viral recognition is critical for understanding durable disease resistance and successful crop protection. We determined how potato virus Y (PVY) coat protein (CP) is recognised by Rysto , a TNL immune receptor. We applied structural modelling, site-directed mutagenesis, transient overexpression, co-immunoprecipitation, infection assays and physiological cell death marker measurements to investigate the mechanism of Rysto -CP interaction. Rysto associates directly with PVY CP in planta that is conditioned by the presence of a CP central 149 amino acids domain. Each deletion that affects the CP core region impairs the ability of Rysto to trigger defence. Point mutations in the amino acid residues Ser125 , Arg157 , and Asp201 of the conserved RNA-binding pocket of potyviral CP reduce or abolish Rysto binding and Rysto -dependent responses, demonstrating that appropriate folding of the CP core is crucial for Rysto -mediated recognition. Rysto recognises the CPs of at least 10 crop-damaging viruses that share a similar core region. It confers immunity to plum pox virus and turnip mosaic virus in both Solanaceae and Brassicaceae systems, demonstrating potential utility in engineering virus resistance in various crops. Our findings shed new light on how R proteins detect different viruses by sensing conserved structural patterns.

Artificial neural network identifies nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD) cohort.

BACKGROUND: To date, there has been no reliable in vitro test to either diagnose or differentiate nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD). The aim of the present study was to develop and validate an artificial neural network (ANN) for the prediction of N-ERD in patients with asthma. METHODS: This study used a prospective database of patients with N-ERD (n = 121) and aspirin-tolerant (n = 82) who underwent aspirin challenge from May 2014 to May 2018. Eighteen parameters, including clinical characteristics, inflammatory phenotypes based on sputum cells, as well as eicosanoid levels in induced sputum supernatant (ISS) and urine were extracted for the ANN. RESULTS: The validation sensitivity of ANN was 94.12% (80.32%-99.28%), specificity was 73.08% (52.21%-88.43%), and accuracy was 85.00% (77.43%-92.90%) for the prediction of N-ERD. The area under the receiver operating curve was 0.83 (0.71-0.90). CONCLUSIONS: The designed ANN model seems to have powerful prediction capabilities to provide diagnosis of N-ERD. Although it cannot replace the gold-standard aspirin challenge test, the implementation of the ANN might provide an added value for identification of patients with N-ERD. External validation in a large cohort is needed to confirm our results.

Bosnian study of APOE distribution (BOSAD): a comparison with other European populations.

BACKGROUND: The ε2, ε3 and ε4 alleles of APOE gene have been associated with several diseases in different populations. Data on the frequency of alleles are used in both a clinical and evolutionary context. Although the data on frequency of these alleles are numerous, there are no reports for the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. AIM: To estimate the frequency of APOE alleles in a healthy Bosnian population and compare it to data for other European populations. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Overall, 170 unrelated Bosnian subjects (108 female and 62 male), aged 53.0 (±5.0) years were included in this study. Genotypes were determined by real-time PCR. RESULTS: In our group the prevalence of heterozygotes E2/E3, E2/E4 and E3/E4 was 20.6%, 3.5% and 12.9%, respectively, while the prevalence of homozygotes E2/E2, E3/E3, E4/E4 was 0.6%, 61.2% and 1.2%, respectively, with a mean frequency of ε2, ε3 and ε4 alleles of 12.6%, 78.0% and 9.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In studied European populations we observed a linear, gradually increasing trend in the frequency of ε4 allele from South to North (Pearson's test 0,7656, p value <0.00001), and the Bosnian population fits into this pattern perfectly.

[The kynurenic acid hypothesis - a new look at etiopathogenesis and treatment of schizophrenia]. / Koncepcja kynureninowa ­ nowe spojrzenie na etiopatogeneze i leczenie schizofrenii.

Kynurenic acid (KYNA) is a neuroactive metabolite of tryptophan formed in the brain and in the periphery, known to block ionotropic glutamate receptors and α7 nicotinic receptors, and to act as a ligand of G protein-coupled GPR35 receptors and human aryl hydrocarbon (AHR) receptors. KYNA seems to modulate a number of mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia including dopaminergic transmission in mesolimbic and mesocortical areas or glutamatemediated neurotransmission. The kynurenine hypothesis of schizophrenia links the occurrence of positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and cognitive impairments characteristic for the disease with the disturbances of kynurenine pathway function. Available data suggest that antipsychotic drugs may restore balance among kynurenine pathway metabolites, and that co-administration of glycine with antipsychotics may reduce extrapyramidal symptoms in patients suffering from schizophrenia. Central level of KYNA may increase in the course of inflammation, which is consistent with the inflammatory hypothesis of schizophrenia. Alterations of immune response and disturbed functioning of kynurenine pathway may lead to disproportion between neuroprotective and neurotoxic mechanisms in the brain. Currently, intense research efforts are focused on the role of kynurenine pathway metabolites in pathogenesis of schizophrenia, their association with the response to antipsychotic treatment, and search for novel medications modulating the function of kynurenine pathway.

Transmitted HIV drug resistance in antiretroviral-treatment-naive patients from Poland differs by transmission category and subtype.

OBJECTIVES: The surveillance of HIV-transmitted drug resistance mutations (t-DRMs), including temporal trends across subtypes and exposure groups, remains a priority in the current management of the epidemic worldwide. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of 833 treatment-naive patients from 9 of 17 Polish HIV treatment centres. Partial pol sequences were used to analyse drug resistance with a general time reversible (GTR)-based maximum likelihood algorithm used for cluster/pair identification. Mutation frequencies and temporal trends were investigated. RESULTS: t-DRMs were observed in 9% of cases (5.8% for NRTI, 1.2% NNRTI and 2.0% PI mutations) and were more common among heterosexually infected (HET) individuals (13.4%) compared with MSM (8.3%, P = 0.03) or injection drug users (IDUs; 2.9%, P = 0.001) and in MSM compared with IDUs (P = 0.046). t-DRMs were more frequent in cases infected with the non-B variant (21.6%) compared with subtype B (6.6%, P < 0.001). With subtype B a higher mutation frequency was found in MSM compared with non-MSM cases (8.3% versus 1.8% for IDU + HET, P = 0.038), while non-B variants were associated with heterosexual exposure (30.4% for HET versus 4.8% for MSM, P = 0.019; versus 0 for IDU, P = 0.016). Trends in t-DRM frequencies were stable over time except for a decrease in NNRTI t-DRMs among MSM (P = 0.0662) and an NRTI t-DRM decrease in HET individuals (P = 0.077). With subtype B a higher frequency of sequence pairs/clusters in MSM (50.4%) was found compared with HET (P < 0.001) and IDUs (P = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Despite stable trends over time, patterns of t-DRMs differed notably between transmission categories and subtypes: subtype B was associated with MSM transmission and clustering while in non-B clades t-DRMs were more common and were associated with heterosexual infections.

Biochemical characterization of APPL endosomes: the role of annexin A2 in APPL membrane recruitment.

APPL endosomes are a recently identified subpopulation of early endosomes characterized by the presence of two homologous Rab5 effector proteins APPL1 and APPL2. They exhibit only limited colocalization with EEA1, another Rab5 effector and a marker of the canonical early endosomes. Although APPL endosomes appear to play important roles in cargo trafficking and signal transduction, their protein composition and biochemical properties remain largely unknown. Here we employed membrane fractionation methods to characterize APPL endosomes biochemically. We demonstrate that they represent heterogeneous membrane structures which can be discriminated from the canonical EEA1-positive early endosomes by their partly different physical properties and a distinct migration pattern in the continuous density gradients. In search for other potential markers of APPL endosomes we identified Annexin A2 as an interacting partner of both APPL1 and APPL2. Annexin A2 is a Ca(2+) and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate binding protein, previously implicated in several endocytic steps. We show that Annexin A2 co-fractionates and colocalizes with APPL endosomes. Moreover, silencing of its expression causes solubilization of APPL2 from endosomes. Although Annexin A2 is not an exclusive marker of APPL endosomes, our data suggest that it has an important function in membrane recruitment of APPL proteins, acting in parallel to Rab5.

[Disintegration of social cognitive processes in schizophrenia]. / Dezintegracja procesów poznania spolecznego w schizofrenii.

UNLABELLED: Despite rapid development of research on social cognition (SC) impairments in schizophrenia, efforts are still made to generate new, broader theoretical models which include the neural network approach to those dysfunctions. The aim of this study was the evaluation of the structure of SC in patients with schizophrenia in comparison to healthy subjects. METHODS: The studied groups consisted of 55 subjects: 30 patients with paranoid schizophrenia according to DSM-IV criteria, and 25 control healthy subjects matched for age, gender and education to the clinical group. In order to assess processes of SC, a battery of tests was administered: Theory of Mind Picture Stories to assess theory of mind, trials "Faces" (from Ekman and Friesen's set of emotional expressions) and "Figures" (from the publication by Argyle) to evaluate recognition of emotions from facial and gesture expression. The methods included also an assessment of self-criticism (insight) relating to the subject's processes of SC. RESULTS: The level of efficacy of SC was lower in the patients compared to the controls. In the clinical group, theory of mind was the most important factor for the overall level of SC and its impairments. There was inadequate, decreased patients' self-criticism regarding their execution of SC tests. The insight did not correlate with any other SC variables in the clinical group. In general, the group characterized by lower integration of social cognitive processes, also obtained lower scores in individual dimensions of SC. CONCLUSIONS: The structure of social cognitive processes in schizophrenic group, unlike in healthy subjects, shows characteristics of generalized disintegration.

Increase of Glycoalkaloid Content in Potato Tubers by Greening as a Method to Reduce the Spread of Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp. in Seed Production Systems.

Dickeya and Pectobacterium species are the causal agents of blackleg and soft rot diseases. This article explores the possibility of using the glycoalkaloids (GAs) naturally produced by the potato tuber after the greening process as a blackleg control method. We first tested the effect of GAs extracted from four potato cultivars on the growth and viability of one Dickeya and one Pectobacterium strain in growth media. Then, four years of field experiments were performed in which the incidence of blackleg was assessed in plants grown from the seed tubers of cv. Agria that were subjected to various greening treatments. In the growth media, all GAs isolated from the four cultivars appeared to be bacteriostatic and bactericidal against both bacteria strains. The inhibitory effect varied among GAs from different cultivars. Except for a one-year field trial, the blackleg incidence was lower in plants grown from green seed tubers without the yield being affected. The blackleg control was marginal, probably due to the low production of GAs by the tubers of cv. Agria after greening. Based on our findings, seed tuber greening has a good potential for blackleg control after the identification of varieties that present optimal GA composition after greening.

Zipcode binding protein 1 regulates the development of dendritic arbors in hippocampal neurons.

The pattern of dendritic branching, together with the density of synapses and receptor composition, defines the electrical properties of a neuron. The development of the dendritic arbor and its additional stabilization are highly orchestrated at the molecular level and are guided by intrinsic mechanisms and extracellular information. Although protein translation is known to contribute to these processes, the role of its local component has not been fully explored. For local translation, mRNAs are transported to dendrites in their dormant form as ribonucleoparticles (RNPs). We hypothesized that disturbing spatial mRNA distribution via RNP targeting may result in severe underdevelopment of the dendritic arbor. Zipcode binding protein 1 (ZBP1) controls ß-actin mRNA transport and translation in dendrites. We showed that proper cellular levels of ZBP1, its ability to engage in mRNA binding, and Src-dependent release of mRNA cargo from ZBP1 are vital for dendritic arbor development in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Moreover, ß-actin overexpression significantly alleviated the effects of ZBP1 knockdown. These results suggest that ZBP1-dependent dendritic mRNA transport contributes to proper dendritic branching.

HIV-1 integrase resistance among antiretroviral treatment naive and experienced patients from Northwestern Poland.

BACKGROUND: HIV integrase inhibitor use is limited by low genetic barrier to resistance and possible cross-resistance among representatives of this class of antiretrovirals. The aim of this study was to analyse integrase sequence variability among antiretroviral treatment naive and experienced patients with no prior integrase inhibitor (InI) exposure and investigate development of the InI drug resistance mutations following the virologic failure of the raltegravir containing regimen. METHODS: Sequencing of HIV-1 integrase region from plasma samples of 80 integrase treatment naive patients and serial samples from 12 patients with observed virologic failure on raltegravir containing treatment whenever plasma vireamia exceeded >50 copies/ml was performed. Drug resistance mutations were called with Stanford DB database and grouped into major and minor variants. For subtyping bootstrapped phylogenetic analysis was used; Bayesian Monte Carlo Marcov Chain (MCMC) model was implemented to infer on the phylogenetic relationships between the serial sequences from patients failing on raltegravir. RESULTS: Majority of the integrase region sequences were classified as subtype B; the remaining ones being subtype D, C, G, as well as CRF01_AE , CRF02_AG and CRF13_cpx recombinants. No major integrase drug resistance mutations have been observed in InI-treatment naive patients. In 30 (38.5%) cases polymorphic variation with predominance of the E157Q mutation was observed. This mutation was more common among subtype B (26 cases, 54.2%) than non-B sequences (5 cases, 16.7%), p=0.00099, OR: 5.91 (95% CI:1.77-22.63)]. Other variants included L68V, L74IL, T97A, E138D, V151I, R263K. Among 12 (26.1%) raltegravir treated patients treatment failure was observed; major InI drug resistance mutations (G140S, Q148H and N155H, V151I, E92EQ, V151I, G163R) were noted in four of these cases (8.3% of the total InI-treated patients). Time to the development of drug resistance ranged from 2.6 to 16.3 months with mean increase of HIV viral load of 4.34 (95% CI:1.86-6.84) log HIV-RNA copies/ml at the time of emergence of the major mutations. Baseline polymorphisms, including E157Q were not associated with the virologic failure on raltegravir. CONCLUSIONS: In InI treatment naive patients polymorphic integrase sequence variation was common, with no major resistance mutants. In the treatment failing patients selection of drug resistance occurred rapidly and followed the typical drug resistance pathways. Preexisting integrase polymorphisms were not associated with the treatment failure.

Between self-stigma and the will of recovery... Difficulties in accepting a psychiatric diagnosis - case study. / Pomiedzy self-stygma a wola zdrowienia... Trudnosci z akceptacja diagnozy psychiatrycznej ­ studium przypadku.

The consequence of social exclusion of the mentally ill patients is often a worsening of the course of the disease and prognosis. The psychiatric diagnosis is very important for the so-called labeling, which is one of the stages of the stigma process, and it also has a lot of social implications. The purpose of this work is to take look at the issue of psychiatric diagnosis, especially the diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and its consequences for the patient's social functioning. The authors of the article have reviewed the literature on the importance of psychiatric diagnosis in the context of self-stigmatization of mental illness and have presented, based on medical records, a clinical case of a patient who had significant difficulties in accepting the diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. The stigma of mental illness is the reason of subjectively experienced suffering for people with psychiatric diagnosis and their relatives, but it is also relevant to public health. Psychiatric diagnosis has significant social consequences, which is why it is so important that the process of diagnosis is not a routine activity for psychiatrists, free from ethical reflection.

Frequency of genotypic factors possibly associated with cabotegravir/rilpivirine failure in antiretroviral treatment-naïve and -experienced HIV-1- infected population.

OBJECTIVES: The long-acting injectable (LAI) cabotegravir (CAB) and rilpivirine (RPV) treatment offers important advantages over oral ART (antiretroviral therapy), however baseline factors possibly contributing to the CAB/RPV treatment failure were identified. The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency of virologic factors previously influencing efficacy of this treatment, namely RPV and CAB resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) and A1/A6 subtype among naïve and treatment-experienced HIV-1-infected patients from Poland. METHODS: The following datasets of HIV-1 sequences were analysed: 4809 protease and reverse transcriptase (PR/RT) sequences obtained from 4649 Polish Caucasian patients (4122 naive and 687 non-naïve) supplemented with integrase (PR/RT/INT) sequences in 1217 cases (942 naïve and 275 non-naïve). Sub-subtypes A were assigned by phylogenetic methods. Major and minor CAB and RPV RAMs were determined according to the IAS-USA 2019 list, while minor RAMs were additionally defined based on the Stanford database algorithm. RESULTS: Subtype A1/A6 frequency ranged from 6.11% in ART failing cases with PR/RT sequences only, to 15.92% for the PR/RT/INT treatment-naïve dataset, while RPV RAMs were found in up to 5.89% of treatment-naïve and 14.56% of ART failing cases. Regardless treatment history, only <1% sequences had combination of two factors (RPV RAMs and A1/A6 subtype). Furthermore, CAB RAMs were found in 1.27% of treatment-naïve and 14.54% of experienced patients. CONCLUSIONS: Despite notable frequency of subtype A1/A6 or CAB/RPV RAMs analysed separately, combination of at least two factors previously associated with failure or this treatment is rare. As subtype A1/A6 becomes more common across real-life cohorts continued subtyping and RAM screening will remain of key importance for LAI treatment implementation. Sequence data from this article have been deposited in GenBank under accession numbers: GU906860, GU906864, GU906871-GU906874, JQ305750-JQ305791, KC409134-KC409222, KM057341-KM057362, KM283892-KM284490, KT340108-KT340205, MZ468643-MZ468894, MZ671788-MZ671823, OP298017-OP302727.

Clinical parameters, selected HLA and chemokine gene variants associated with late presentation into care of people living with HIV/AIDS.

INTRODUCTION: Late presentation into care remains a significant problem in the diagnosis of HIV infection, and may negatively impact the Joint United Nations Program HIV/AIDS elimination targets. Host genetics affects the tempo of HIV disease progression and therefore may influence clinical status at care entry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Longitudinal data were collected for 863 Caucasian patients followed up at Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in CCR2 (rs1799864), CX3CR1 (rs3732378), HLAC-35 (rs9264942), CCR5 promoter (rs1799988) as well as 32 base pair CCR5 mutation and HLA-B*5701 genotypes were correlated with the clinical and immunologic patient status at care entry. Late presentation was defined as baseline CD4 lymphocyte count <350 cells/µL or history of AIDS-defining illness, while advanced HIV disease as baseline CD4 lymphocyte count <200 cells/µL or AIDS. RESULTS: Of the analyzed gene variants, the CCR2 (rs1799864) GG genotype was more frequent among patients presenting for care with a CD4 lymphocyte count <200/µL (82.6% for GG homozygotes vs. 74.5% for allele A carriers, p = 0.01). The presence of the heterozygous wt/Δ32 genotype at the CCR5 gene was associated with a higher frequency of asymptomatic infection (18.9% for wt/Δ32 heterozygotes vs. 12% for wt/wt homozygotes, p = 0.03). As expected, this association was also observed among late presenters compared to patients presenting for care earlier (13.7% vs. 19,7%, respectively, p = 0.04). Finally, HLA-B*5701 was less common among late presenters (5%) compared to patients who entered care early (9.6%, p = 0.01) or patients with advanced HIV disease (8.9% vs. 5.2%, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Late presentation was associated with the GG homozygous genotype at the CCR2 rs1799864 SNP, while both the HLA-B*5701 variant and the CCR5 wt/Δ32 were associated with more favorable clinical profile at care entry.

Correction: Influence of HLA-B*5701 on 20 year survival rate among patients living with HIV.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255834.].

SARS-CoV-2 Whole-Genome Sequencing by Ion S5 Technology-Challenges, Protocol Optimization and Success Rates for Different Strains.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how rapidly various molecular methods can be adapted for a Public Health Emergency. Whether a need arises for whole-genome studies (next-generation sequencing), fast and high-throughput diagnostics (reverse-transcription real-time PCR) or global immunization (construction of mRNA or viral vector vaccines), the scientific community has been able to answer all these calls. In this study, we aimed at the assessment of effectiveness of the commercially available solution for full-genome SARS-CoV-2 sequencing (AmpliSeq™ SARS-CoV-2 Research Panel and Ion AmpliSeq™ Library Kit Plus, Thermo Fisher Scientific). The study is based on 634 samples obtained from patients from Poland, with varying viral load, assigned to a number of lineages. Here, we also present the results of protocol modifications implemented to obtain high-quality genomic data. We found that a modified library preparation protocol required less viral RNA input in order to obtain the optimal library quantity. Concurrently, neither concentration of cDNA nor reamplification of libraries from low-template samples improved the results of sequencing. On the basis of the amplicon success rates, we propose one amplicon to be redesigned, namely, the r1_1.15.1421280, for which less than 50 reads were produced by 44% of samples. Additionally, we found several mutations within different SARS-CoV-2 lineages that cause the neighboring amplicons to underperform. Therefore, due to constant SARS-CoV-2 evolution, we support the idea of conducting ongoing sequence-based surveillance studies to continuously validate commercially available RT-PCR and whole-genome sequencing solutions.

Factors Influencing Immune Restoration in People Living with HIV/AIDS.

Introduction: Immune restoration is a key clinical aspect that is pursued in the care of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. Despite effective antiretroviral treatment and undetectable viremia, immune recovery is often incomplete. Materials and methods: Data from 311 Caucasian patients were collected. SNP in CCR2(rs1799864), CX3CR1(rs3732378), HLAC-35(rs9264942), and CCR5(promoter, rs1799988); a 32bp deletion(Δ32) in CCR5; and HLA-B*5701 genotypes were correlated with clinical data and selected endpoints. Kaplan−Meier and Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze the effects of genetic factors over time. Results: For HLA-B*5701, the effect on the CD4+/CD8+ >0.8 cell ratio was lost within 48 months (HR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.04−4.03), and the effect on the CD4+ cell count >500 cells/µL was lost within 12 months (HR = 2.12, CI: 1.11−4.04). The effect of CCR2 GG on the CD4+/CD8+ >0.8 cell ratio was lost within 36 months (HR = 1.7, CI: 1.05−2.75). For CCR5 wt/Δ32, the effect on the CD4+/CD8+ >1.0 cell ratio was lost within 24 months (HR = 2.0, CI: 1.08−3.69), and the effect on the CD4+ >800 cells/µL cell count was lost within 18 months (HR = 1.98, CI: 1.14−4.73). Conclusions: Selected genetic polymorphisms, namely CCR2 GG and CCR5 Δ32, and the presence of the HLA-B*5701 allele positively influenced immune restoration in cART-treated patients with HIV/AIDS.

Genotypic tropism of antiretroviral-treated patients with drug resistant HIV-1.

CCR5 inhibitors remain an attractive antiretroviral treatment option for HIV-infected patients; however, tropism testing should be utilized prior their introduction. This study analyzed genotypic HIV-1 tropisms in patients with evidence of genotypic drug resistance to antiretroviral therapies in Northwest Poland. V3 loop sequences were analyzed from plasma samples obtained from patients presenting with virologic treatment failure while on combined antiretroviral treatment and with evidence of genotypic drug resistance. Genotypic X4 and R5 tropisms were identified using the geno2pheno algorithm with a false positive rate threshold set at 10%. Clinical data for all patients examined was collected, in addition to determining the CCR5 Δ32 genotype and calculating the genotypic susceptibility score (GSS). Virologic treatment failure and the presence of drug resistant mutations were observed in 37/450 (8.4%) patients on cART (combination antiretroviral therapy) with successful tropism analysis carried out on 35 (95%) cases. In 22 (62.9%) and 13 (37.1%) cases the R5 and X4 tropisms were predicted, respectively. An association between viral X4 tropism and the M41L (P = 0.04) resistance mutation and R5 tropism and the K103N (P = 0.07) resistance mutation were observed. GSS values were lower in the group with NRTI (P = 0.01) and NNRTI resistance (P = 0.048). In the majority of the drug resistant patients, R5 tropic viruses were found. As genotypic tropism testing is easy to carry out and interpret, its use in clinical practice would be highly useful in determining the use of appropriate drug therapies.

Transmitted HIV drug resistance and subtype patterns among blood donors in Poland.

Surveillance on the HIV molecular variability, risk of drug resistance transmission and evolution of novel viral variants among blood donors remains an understudied aspect of hemovigilance. This nationwide study analyses patterns of HIV diversity and transmitted resistance mutations. Study included 185 samples from the first time and repeat blood donors with HIV infection identified by molecular assay. HIV protease, reverse transcriptase and integrase were sequenced using population methods. Drug resistance mutation (DRM) patterns were analyzed based on the Stanford Interpretation Algorithm and standardized lists of transmitted mutations. Phylogeny was used to investigate subtyping, clustering and recombination patterns. HIV-1 subtype B (89.2%) followed by subtype A6 (7.6%) were predominant, while in three (1.6%) cases, novel recombinant B/A6 variants were identified. Non-B variants were more common among repeat donors (14.5%) compared to the first time ones (1.8%), p = 0.011, with higher frequency (9.9%) of A6 variant in the repeat donor group, p = 0.04. Major NRTI DRMs were observed in 3.8%, NNRTI and PI in 0.6% and INSTI 1.1% of cases. Additionally, E157Q polymorphism was observed in 9.8% and L74I in 11.5% of integrase sequences. Transmission of drug resistance among blood donors remains infrequent. Subtype patters increase in complexity with emergence of novel intersubtype A6B recombinants.