Understanding the mechanisms driving the spread of subtype C HIV-1
Matthew J. Gartner,
Michael Roche,
Melissa J. Churchill,
Paul R. Gorry,
Jacqueline K. Flynn
Affiliations
Matthew J. Gartner
School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
Michael Roche
School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
Melissa J. Churchill
School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Paul R. Gorry
School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; Corresponding author: School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne Australia.
Jacqueline K. Flynn
School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Corresponding author at: The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype C (C-HIV) is the most prevalent form of HIV-1 globally, accounting for approximately 50% of infections worldwide. C-HIV is the predominant and near-exclusive subtype in the low resource regions of India and Southern Africa. Given the vast diversity of HIV-1 subtypes, it is curious as to why C-HIV constitutes such a large proportion of global infections. This enriched prevalence may be due to phenotypic differences between C-HIV isolates and other viral strains that permit enhanced transmission efficiency or, pathogenicity, or might due to the socio-demographics of the regions where C-HIV is endemic. Here, we compare the mechanisms of C-HIV pathogenesis to less prominent HIV-1 subtypes, including viral genetic and phenotypic characteristics, and host genetic variability, to understand whether evolutionary factors drove C-HIV to predominance. Keywords: HIV-1, Subtype C, Transmission, Pathogenesis
