Shedding of HIV-1 Subtype E in Semen and Cervico Vaginal Fluid
RUENGPUNG SUTTHENT, M.D., Ph.D.*, ANUVAT ROONGPISUTHIPONG, M.D.**, KWONCHID SAMRANGSARP, B.Sc.*, PILAIPAN PUTHA VA THANA, Ph.D.*, PONGSAKDI CHAISILWATTANA, M.D.**, PlY ANOT WIRACHSILP, B.Sc. *, PATTRA WAN CHAIY AKUL, B.N. ***, CHANTAPONG WASI,M.D.*
Affiliation : * Departments of Microbiology, ** Departments of Obstetrics-Gynecology, ***Departments of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.
Abstract The uneven expansion of HIV-1 subtypes in each transmitted group raises the possibility that some viruses have less/more potential by qualitative/quantitative for heterosexual transmission compared to others. In Thailand, HIV-1 subtype E is mainly spread via heterosexual route and accounts for about 95 per cent of the infected cases. To determine whether high sexual infectivity of HIV -1 subtype E is due to the presence of a virus in genital fluid, we conducted a study to cha- racterize shedding of HIV -1 in seminal and cervico-vaginal fluids of 30 HIV -1 subtype E infected Thai couples by PCR and virus isolation methods. All subjects had no HIV-associated diseases and other sexually transmitted diseases. HIV-1 subtype EDNA was detected in 22/30 (77.33%) of cervico-vaginal and also 22/30 (77.33%) of seminal fluid samples. The isolation rate of HIV-1 from semen and cervico-vaginal secretion was 36.67 per cent and 16.67 per cent, respectively. Number of HIV-1 subtype E DNA copies in the blood is reversely correlated with the number of blood CD4+ T cells, while that in genital fluid was not related to CD4+ T cell count. An increase in shedding of HIV- DNA subtype E in female genital tract compared to other HIV subtypes reported by other investigators might be one reason to explain the rapid spread of subtype E by heterosexual transmission in Thailand.
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