Near-Full-Length Genome Analysis of a HIV-1 CRF01_AE/B Recombinant Strain Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Chengde City, China

The unique recombinant form (URF) of HIV is formed by multiple subtypes which are cocirculating in some area, and the number of HIV recombinants is on the increase worldwide. In this study, we identified a URF named 2019638, composed of CRF01_AE and subtype B, in a man who has sex with men in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, China. The near-full-length genome (NFLG) sequence was confirmed to be a novel URF. Within this NFLG, two CRF01_AE fragments were inserted into the pol and vif regions, respectively, using subtype B as the backbone. Moreover, the presence of the V106M and V179D point mutations in the reverse transcriptase (RT) region rendered the high-level resistance to efavirenz and nevirapine and intermediate resistance to doravirine. Our findings suggest that the HIV epidemic is evolving toward a high degree of recombination, and we need to continuously monitor HIV genetic diversity to control the further development of the AIDS epidemic.

Automated summary

In this study, a unique recombinant form (URF) of HIV, composed of multiple subtypes, was identified in a man who has sex with men in China. The study also found that this URF showed high-level resistance to certain antiretroviral drugs.