A large population sample of African HIV genomes from the 1980s reveals a reduction in subtype D over time associated with propensity for CXCR4 tropism.

We present 109 near full-length HIV genomes amplified from blood serum samples obtained during early 1986 from across Uganda, which to our knowledge is the earliest and largest population sample from the initial phase of the HIV epidemic in Africa. Consensus sequences were made from paired-end Illumina reads with a target-capture approach to amplify HIV material following poor success with standard approaches. In comparisons with a smaller 'intermediate' genome dataset from 1998 to 1999 and a 'modern' genome dataset from 2007 to 2016, the proportion of subtype D was significantly higher initially, dropping from 67% (73/109), to 57% (26/46) to 17% (82/465) respectively (p < 0.0001). Subtype D has previously been shown to have a faster rate of disease progression than other subtypes in East African population studies, and to have a higher propensity to use the CXCR4 co-receptor ("X4 tropism"); associated with a decrease in time to AIDS. Here we find significant differences in predicted tropism between A1 and D subtypes in all three sample periods considered, which is particularly striking the 1986 sample: 66% (53/80) of subtype D env sequences were predicted to be X4 tropic compared with none of the 24 subtype A1. We also analysed the frequency of subtype in the envelope region of inter-subtype recombinants, and found that subtype A1 is over-represented in env, suggesting recombination and selection have acted to remove subtype D env from circulation. The reduction of subtype D frequency over three decades therefore appears to be a result of selective pressure against X4 tropism and its higher virulence. Lastly, we find a subtype D specific codon deletion at position 24 of the V3 loop, which may explain the higher propensity for subtype D to utilise X4 tropism.

IVA: accurate de novo assembly of RNA virus genomes.

MOTIVATION: An accurate genome assembly from short read sequencing data is critical for downstream analysis, for example allowing investigation of variants within a sequenced population. However, assembling sequencing data from virus samples, especially RNA viruses, into a genome sequence is challenging due to the combination of viral population diversity and extremely uneven read depth caused by amplification bias in the inevitable reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction amplification process of current methods. RESULTS: We developed a new de novo assembler called IVA (Iterative Virus Assembler) designed specifically for read pairs sequenced at highly variable depth from RNA virus samples. We tested IVA on datasets from 140 sequenced samples from human immunodeficiency virus-1 or influenza-virus-infected people and demonstrated that IVA outperforms all other virus de novo assemblers. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The software runs under Linux, has the GPLv3 licence and is freely available from http://sanger-pathogens.github.io/iva

Universal amplification, next-generation sequencing, and assembly of HIV-1 genomes.

Whole HIV-1 genome sequences are pivotal for large-scale studies of inter- and intrahost evolution, including the acquisition of drug resistance mutations. The ability to rapidly and cost-effectively generate large numbers of HIV-1 genome sequences from different populations and geographical locations and determine the effect of minority genetic variants is, however, a limiting factor. Next-generation sequencing promises to bridge this gap but is hindered by the lack of methods for the enrichment of virus genomes across the phylogenetic breadth of HIV-1 and methods for the robust assembly of the virus genomes from short-read data. Here we report a method for the amplification, next-generation sequencing, and unbiased de novo assembly of HIV-1 genomes of groups M, N, and O, as well as recombinants, that does not require prior knowledge of the sequence or subtype. A sensitivity of at least 3,000 copies/ml was determined by using plasma virus samples of known copy numbers. We applied our novel method to compare the genome diversities of HIV-1 groups, subtypes, and genes. The highest level of diversity was found in the env, nef, vpr, tat, and rev genes and parts of the gag gene. Furthermore, we used our method to investigate mutations associated with HIV-1 drug resistance in clinical samples at the level of the complete genome. Drug resistance mutations were detected as both major variant and minor species. In conclusion, we demonstrate the feasibility of our method for large-scale HIV-1 genome sequencing. This will enable the phylogenetic and phylodynamic resolution of the ongoing pandemic and efficient monitoring of complex HIV-1 drug resistance genotypes.

An international collaboration to standardize HIV-2 viral load assays: results from the 2009 ACHI(E)V(2E) quality control study.

Accurate HIV-2 plasma viral load quantification is crucial for adequate HIV-2 patient management and for the proper conduct of clinical trials and international cohort collaborations. This study compared the homogeneity of HIV-2 RNA quantification when using HIV-2 assays from ACHI(E)V(2E) study sites and either in-house PCR calibration standards or common viral load standards supplied to all collaborators. Each of the 12 participating laboratories quantified blinded HIV-2 samples, using its own HIV-2 viral load assay and standard as well as centrally validated and distributed common HIV-2 group A and B standards (http://www.hiv.lanl.gov/content/sequence/HelpDocs/subtypes-more.html). Aliquots of HIV-2 group A and B strains, each at 2 theoretical concentrations (2.7 and 3.7 log(10) copies/ml), were tested. Intralaboratory, interlaboratory, and overall variances of quantification results obtained with both standards were compared using F tests. For HIV-2 group A quantifications, overall and interlaboratory and/or intralaboratory variances were significantly lower when using the common standard than when using in-house standards at the concentration levels of 2.7 log(10) copies/ml and 3.7 log(10) copies/ml, respectively. For HIV-2 group B, a high heterogeneity was observed and the variances did not differ according to the type of standard used. In this international collaboration, the use of a common standard improved the homogeneity of HIV-2 group A RNA quantification only. The diversity of HIV-2 group B, particularly in PCR primer-binding regions, may explain the heterogeneity in quantification of this strain. Development of a validated HIV-2 viral load assay that accurately quantifies distinct circulating strains is needed.

Genital secretion HIV RNA shedding in HIV-positive patients on ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor monotherapy or standard combination ART: a cross-sectional sub-study from the PIVOT Trial.

BACKGROUND: Protease inhibitors (PI) have relatively low penetration into the genital tract, raising concerns about the potential for genital HIV RNA shedding in patients taking PI-based regimens, particularly PI monotherapy (PI-mono). METHODS: We measured HIV RNA and PI drug concentrations in samples of semen, cervico-vaginal and rectal mucosa secretions, and plasma in patients after 48-96 weeks on PI-mono or standard triple therapy. RESULTS: A total of 85 participants were recruited. Of the 43 participants on PI-mono (70% on darunavir [DRV]/ritonavir [r]), 3 had detectable virus in semen or vaginal secretions (all below quantification limit), and none in rectal mucosa or plasma. Among those taking triple therapy, five had detectable virus in semen or vaginal secretions (HIV RNA >50 copies/ml in one), none in rectal mucosa and one in plasma. The median (IQR) concentration of DRV and atazanavir in semen (659.7 [339-1,089] and 128.8 [63-368] ng/ml, respectively) and cervico-vaginal samples (2,768 [312-7,879] and 1,836 [359-3,314] ng/ml, respectively) exceeded their protein adjusted median inhibition concentration (MIC50). DRV concentration in rectal secretions showed higher variability compared with concentration in the other sites, with particularly high rectal secretion/blood ratios (median 8.4, IQR 2.6-68.7:1). CONCLUSIONS: We found no substantive evidence of HIV shedding in patients taking PI-mono, suggesting that PIs provide adequate control of virus in the genital compartment and are unlikely to lead to ongoing sexual transmission.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Antibody Repertoire Estimates Reservoir Size and Time of Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation in Virally Suppressed Perinatally HIV-Infected Children.

BACKGROUND: Assays to estimate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reservoir size require large amounts of blood, which represents a drawback especially in pediatric settings. We investigated whether HIV-antibody repertoire could estimate the viral reservoir size. Moreover, we assessed the magnitude of HIV-antibody response as a predictor of time of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. METHODS: Human immunodeficiency virus-antibody responses to 10 different viral proteins were evaluated by HIV Western blot (WB) kit and a WB score was assigned to each patient. Patients were classified in 2 subgroups based on the timing of ART initiation (early treated [ET], 0-24 weeks and late treated [LT], >24 weeks). Human immunodeficiency virus-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was quantified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction on total peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Logistic regression and principal component analysis were built on these data to test the ability of WB score to predict the expected value of HIV-DNA and the timing of ART initiation. RESULTS: Sixty-nine perinatally HIV-infected children were evaluated. Reduced HIV-specific antibody responses and lower size of HIV-DNA were observed in ET compared with LT patients (P < .001 and P = .02, respectively). We found that WB score correlates with HIV-DNA (P = .032) and timing of ART initiation (P < .001). Based on the logistic regression analysis, we found that WB score can predict the HIV-DNA size and the timing of ART initiation with an Akaike information criterion of -118.13 and -151.51, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Western blot score can estimate HIV-DNA size and timing of ART initiation in long-term virally suppressed children. This rapid, inexpensive, and easily reproducible tool can provide useful information to identify potential candidates for HIV remission studies.

Bigger and Better? Representativeness of the Influenza A Surveillance Using One Consolidated Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Data Set as Compared to the Belgian Sentinel Network of Laboratories.

Infectious diseases remain a serious public health concern globally, while the need for reliable and representative surveillance systems remains as acute as ever. The public health surveillance of infectious diseases uses reported positive results from sentinel clinical laboratories or laboratory networks, to survey the presence of specific microbial agents known to constitute a threat to public health in a given population. This monitoring activity is commonly based on a representative fraction of the microbiology laboratories nationally reporting to a single central reference point. However, in recent years a number of clinical microbiology laboratories (CML) have undergone a process of consolidation involving a shift toward laboratory amalgamation and closer real-time informational linkage. This report aims to investigate whether such merging activities might have a potential impact on infectious diseases surveillance. Influenza data was used from Belgian public health surveillance 2014-2017, to evaluate whether national infection trends could be estimated equally as effectively from only just one centralized CML serving the wider Brussels area (LHUB-ULB). The overall comparison reveals that there is a close correlation and representativeness of the LHUB-ULB data to the national and international data for the same time periods, both on epidemiological and molecular grounds. Notably, the effectiveness of the LHUB-ULB surveillance remains partially subject to local regional variations. A subset of the Influenza samples had their whole genome sequenced so that the observed epidemiological trends could be correlated to molecular observations from the same period, as an added-value proposition. These results illustrate that the real-time integration of high-throughput whole genome sequencing platforms available in consolidated CMLs into the public health surveillance system is not only credible but also advantageous to use for future surveillance and prediction purposes. This can be most effective when implemented for automatic detection systems that might include multiple layers of information and timely implementation of control strategies.

Quality control assessment of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) viral load quantification assays: results from an international collaboration on HIV-2 infection in 2006.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) RNA quantification assays used in nine laboratories of the ACHI(E)V(2E) (A Collaboration on HIV-2 Infection) study group were evaluated. In a blinded experimental design, laboratories quantified three series of aliquots of an HIV-2 subtype A strain, each at a different theoretical viral load. Quantification varied between laboratories, and international standardization of quantification assays is strongly needed.

Near Full-length Genomic Sequencing and Molecular Analysis of HIV-Infected Individuals in a Network-based Intervention (TRIP) in Athens, Greece: Evidence that Transmissions Occur More Frequently from those with High HIV-RNA.

BACKGROUND: TRIP (Transmission Reduction Intervention Project) was a network-based, contact tracing approach to locate and link to care, mostly people who inject drugs (PWID) with recent HIV infection. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether sequences from HIV-infected participants with high viral load cluster together more frequently than what is expected by chance. METHODS: Paired end reads were generated for 104 samples using Illumina MiSeq next-generation sequencing. RESULTS: 63 sequences belonged to previously identified local transmission networks of PWID (LTNs) of an HIV outbreak in Athens, Greece. For two HIV-RNA cut-offs (105 and 106 IU/mL), HIV transmissions were more likely between PWID with similar levels of HIV-RNA (p<0.001). 10 of the 14 sequences (71.4%) from PWID with HIV-RNA >106 IU/mL were clustered in 5 pairs. For 4 of these clusters (80%), there was in each one of them at least one sequence from a recently HIVinfected PWID. CONCLUSION: We showed that transmissions are more likely among PWID with high viremia.

Early and Highly Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy Are Main Factors Associated With Low Viral Reservoir in European Perinatally HIV-Infected Children.

BACKGROUND: Future strategies aiming to achieve HIV-1 remission are likely to target individuals with small reservoir size. SETTING: We retrospectively investigated factors associated with HIV-1 DNA levels in European, perinatally HIV-infected children starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) <6 months of age. METHODS: Total HIV-1 DNA was measured from 51 long-term suppressed children aged 6.3 years (median) after initial viral suppression. Factors associated with log10 total HIV-1 DNA were analyzed using linear regression. RESULTS: At ART initiation, children were aged median [IQR] 2.3 [1.2-4.1] months, CD4% 37 [24-45] %, CD8% 28 [18-36] %, log10 plasma viral load (VL) 5.4 [4.4-5.9] copies per milliliter. Time to viral suppression was 7.98 [4.6-19.3] months. After suppression, 13 (25%) children had suboptimal response [≥2 consecutive VL 50-400 followed by VL <50] and/or experienced periods of virological failure [≥2 consecutive VL ≥400 followed by VL <50]. Median total HIV-1 DNA was 43 [6195] copies/10 PBMC. Younger age at therapy initiation was associated with lower total HIV-1 DNA (adjusted coefficient [AC] 0.12 per month older, P = 0.0091), with a month increase in age at ART start being associated with a 13% increase in HIV DNA. Similarly, a higher proportion of time spent virally suppressed (AC 0.10 per 10% higher, P = 0.0022) and the absence of viral failure/suboptimal response (AC 0.34 for those with fail/suboptimal response, P = 0.0483) were associated with lower total HIV-1 DNA. CONCLUSIONS: Early ART initiation and a higher proportion of time suppressed are linked with lower total HIV-1 DNA. Early ART start and improving adherence in perinatally HIV-1-infected children minimize the size of viral reservoir.

Hepatitis delta virus testing, epidemiology and management: a multicentre cross-sectional study of patients in London.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) testing is recommended for all patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. HDV infection is associated with severe liver disease and interferon is the only available treatment. OBJECTIVES: To determine the rate of anti-HDV antibody testing in HBV patients; and to describe the epidemiology, clinical characteristics and management of HDV-infected patients at four hospitals in London. STUDY DESIGN: The anti-HDV testing rate was estimated by reviewing clinical and laboratory data. Cross-sectional data collection identified HDV-infected patients who had attended the study centres between 2005 and 2012. RESULTS: At a centre with clinic-led anti-HDV testing, 40% (67/168) of HBV patients were tested. Recently diagnosed HBV patients were more likely to be screened than those under long-term follow-up (62% vs 36%, P=0.01). At a centre with reflex laboratory testing, 99.4% (3543/3563) of first hepatitis B surface antigen positive samples were tested for anti-HDV. Across the four study centres there were 55 HDV-infected patients, of whom 50 (91%) had immigrated to the UK and 27 (49%) had evidence of cirrhosis. 31 patients received interferon therapy for HDV with an end of treatment virological response observed in 10 (32%). CONCLUSIONS: The anti-HDV testing rate was low in a centre with clinic-led testing, but could not be evaluated in all centres. The HDV-infected patients were of diverse ethnicity, with extensive histological evidence of liver disease and poor therapeutic responses. Future recommendations include reflex laboratory testing algorithms and a prospective cohort study to optimise the investigation and management of these patients.

Clinical outcome in resistant HIV-2 infection treated with raltegravir and maraviroc.

Therapy for infection with HIV-2 remains limited. We report an HIV-2-infected patient in whom genotyping demonstrated PI, NRTI and NNRTI resistance, with a subsequent response to raltegravir- and maraviroc-based therapy. Further studies are required to assess the clinical efficacy of maraviroc in HIV-2 infection.

Dynamics of raltegravir resistance profile in an HIV type 2-infected patient.

The evolutionary dynamics of RAL resistance in the HIV-2 virus were examined through population and clonal sequence analysis of the IN from baseline, during treatment, and after stopping RAL therapy. The treatment failure of an RAL regimen in the HIV-2 patient studied was associated with the emergence of mutations via the N155H resistance pathway and subsequent switching to the Y143C mutational route. This study has also identified four novel secondary mutations, Q91R, S147G, A153G, and M183I, not previously reported in HIV-1 patients failing RAL therapy. Resistant variants involving the Y143C pathway were noted to have persisted beyond 4 weeks following the cessation of RAL therapy. All resistance-associated mutations were lost at 20 weeks after stopping RAL therapy. Our findings provide evidence supporting the supposition that substantial cross-resistance between strand transfer IN-Is is likely in HIV-2 as shown in HIV-1.