@article{fdi:010035770,
  title = {{T}he predominance of {H}uman {I}mmunodeficiency {V}irus type 1 ({HIV}-1) circulating recombinant form 02 ({CRF}02_{AG}) in {W}est {C}entral {A}frica may be related to its replicative fitness},
  author = {{N}jai, {H}. {F}. and {G}ali, {Y}. and {V}anham, {G}. and {C}lybergh, {C}. and {J}ennes, {W}. and {V}idal, {N}icole and {B}utel, {C}hristelle and {M}poudi {N}gol{\'e}, {E}. and {P}eeters, {M}artine and {A}rien, {K}. {K}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground: {CRF}02_{AG} is the predominant {HIV} strain circulating in {W}est and {W}est {C}entral {A}frica. {T}he aim of this study was to test whether this predominance is associated with a higher in vitro replicative fitness relative to parental subtype {A} and {G} viruses. {P}rimary {HIV}-{I} isolates (10 {CRF}02_{AG}, 5 subtype {A} and 5 subtype {G}) were obtained from a well-described {C}ameroonian cohort. {G}rowth competition experiments were carried out at equal multiplicity of infection in activated {T} cells and monocyte-derived dendritic cells ({MO}-{DC}) in parallel. {R}esults: {D}ual infection/ competition experiments in activated {T} cells clearly indicated that {CRF}02_{AG} isolates had a significant replication advantage over the subtype {A} and subtype {G} viruses. {T}he higher fitness of {CRF}02_{AG} was evident for isolates from patients with {CD}4+ {T} cell counts > 200 cells/mu {L} (non-{AIDS}) or {CD}4+ {T} cell counts < 200 cells/mu {L} ({AIDS}), and was independent of the co-receptor tropism. {I}n {MO}-{DC} cultures, {CRF}02_{AG} isolates showed a slightly but not significantly higher replication advantage compared to subtype {A} or {G} isolates. {C}onclusion: {W}e observed a higher ex vivo replicative fitness of {CRF}02_{AG} isolates compared to subtype {A} and {G} viruses from the same geographic region and showed that this was independent of the co-receptor tropism and irrespective of high or low {CD}4+ {T} cell count. {T}his advantage in replicative fitness may contribute to the dominant spread of {CRF}02_{AG} over {A} and {G} subtypes in {W}est and {W}est {C}entral {A}frica.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{R}etrovirology},
  volume = {3},
  numero = {},
  pages = {art. no. 40 -- {NIL}_1--{NIL}_11},
  ISSN = {1742-4690},
  year = {2006},
  DOI = {10.1186/1742-4690-3-40},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010035770},
}