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Is 3-DCR HIV NYC A Recombinant? (immuno-compromised host VS/ Increased Replication CapacitY)
Virologic et. al. | 2-17-05 | MA

Posted on 02/17/2005 5:06:16 AM PST by Mother Abigail

Is 3-DCR HIV NYC A Recombinant?

The test results indicate that the virus uses a receptor that has been linked to accelerated immune destruction and rapid progression to clinical AIDS.

Viruses with significant resistance often replicate less well than wild-type viruses. In this case however, the ViroLogic Replication Capacity (RC) assay indicated that virus replication was comparable to most wild-type strains.

Replication Capacity is the focus of intensive study at ViroLogic and preliminary data indicate that viruses with high RC values are associated with more rapid immunosuppression.

This is an interesting case because it has features that we often see, although not typically in the same virus. While we see triple-class resistance fairly commonly in patients with a long history of antiretroviral drug experience, this case is noteworthy in that a single virus harbors triple-class resistance, a high RC, and CXCR4 receptor tropism in the setting of recent infection.

The 3-DCR profile along with a wild type replication capacity is further reason for obtaining a full sequence. 

Analysis will reveal if the virus in question is a recombinant, combining two well characterized biological properties to generate a novel virus with increased virulence and transmissibility, combined with drug resistance.

The presence of this unique set of properties in a single virus should speed up analysis of the significance of the NYC cluster. 

The key assays are commercially available, so screening of suspect virus should allow rapid determination of the worldwide distribution of this novel strain. 

Tracing will help define how successful containment might be, and also identify treatment options, although treating with one drug is unlikely to provide a long term solution. 

The identification of a second case in San Diego is not a good indicator, unless there is some linkage between the patient in California and one or both patients in NYC.  However, since initial comments indicated the viruses were similar, as opposed to almost identical, the chance that this virus is spreading well beyond the three cases being investigated is high.

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Increased Replication Capacity of 3-DCR HIV

Assays have already been run on the 3-DCR HIV NYC to test for virulence.  The isolate was CXCR4 tropic, consistent with resistance to 19 of the 20 FDA approved HIV antivirals. 

However, it had a wild type Replication Capacity which was unusual for a CXCR4 tropic isolate.  Since these assays are done in vitro, they would be independent of host factors. 

Complete sequencing and structural analysis could shed additional light on the mechanism used to merge these two properties, but the data already shows that the virus has combined two properties that would be expected if the virus was more virulent. 

The effect of these genetic changes on disease progression in a large population remains to be determined.  However, the data on combining properties which are consistent with increased virulence have already been described.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aids; superstrain
1. The virus clearly has combined two distinct properties not seen previously, suggesting that it may be a recombinant.

2. The above details clearly point toward a novel HIV rather than an immuno-compromised host in the DCR NYC case cluster.

1 posted on 02/17/2005 5:06:17 AM PST by Mother Abigail
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To: backhoe; neverdem; Judith Anne; Dog Gone; Marie; cherry; united1000; keri; maestro; riri; ...


FYI


2 posted on 02/17/2005 5:09:28 AM PST by Mother Abigail
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To: Mother Abigail

By recombinant, does that imply "design" in a laboratory?


3 posted on 02/17/2005 5:11:52 AM PST by The Electrician
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To: The Electrician
Viruses are known to pass characteristics around provided they are resident in the same host. Influenza strains do this regularly.

No laboratory is required.

4 posted on 02/17/2005 5:19:32 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: The Electrician
When you have a large number of viral subtypes circulating in a population, a certain amount of random recombinations are often discovered.

Most are poor replicators and do not thrive.

That being said - it is, of course, possible to create recombinants in a laboratory.

MA
5 posted on 02/17/2005 5:22:55 AM PST by Mother Abigail
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To: muawiyah

Interesting... Thanks...


6 posted on 02/17/2005 5:23:13 AM PST by The Electrician
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: Mother Abigail

ping (!)


8 posted on 02/17/2005 5:58:19 AM PST by genefromjersey (So much to flame;so little time !)
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To: Mother Abigail
The "how" of this is so far out of my area of expertise that I can only grasp some of the general concepts. I'm far more concerned with what the effects of this "super-HIV" virus will be.

As the article states, the likelihood that it has spread far beyond the cases we know of today is high.

9 posted on 02/17/2005 6:08:33 AM PST by Dog Gone
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To: Dog Gone
I'm far more concerned with what the effects of this "super-HIV" virus will be.

Culling the herd. Rapidly.

10 posted on 02/17/2005 6:46:14 AM PST by null and void (Psst. Mohammad was planted by the Mossad to oppress arabs. It's still working. Pass it on...)
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To: Mother Abigail
Does anybody know if the appearance of syphilis in Europe in the 15th century had any effect on sexual morality and conduct?
11 posted on 02/17/2005 7:33:13 AM PST by dsc
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To: dsc
The Great Pox in Europe during the Middle Ages was not smallpox, but syphilis. It did not curb the indiscriminate sex acts and conduct of the population in general. It did, however, thin the herd.

Recombinant HIV with increased lethality and speed in which it destroys the immune system must have a host that has receptors available to the virus. I believe that we will see a human genome characteristic that will predict the outcome of the Super HIV strain in infected individuals. The mere fact the patient has the recombinant strain expressed as a disease is de facto evidence that the receptor is present. If viral history is to repeat itself, we will also see a carrier of the super strain that will infect but not show clinical disease.

12 posted on 02/17/2005 7:53:41 AM PST by vetvetdoug
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To: Mother Abigail

My bet is there is a carrier that has the 3-DCR HIV NYC and is not exhibiting clinical disease. I would look for an angry French Canadian connected with the airline industry that has homosexual sex with multiple individuals.


13 posted on 02/17/2005 7:56:30 AM PST by vetvetdoug
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To: vetvetdoug

That could be any of them.


14 posted on 02/17/2005 8:21:22 AM PST by CzarNicky (The problem with bad ideas is that they seemed like good ideas at the time.)
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To: Mother Abigail
Bump for later with some URLs of interest

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1315719/posts

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11877445&dopt=Abstract (that' a freebee)

15 posted on 02/18/2005 1:28:31 AM PST by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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To: Mother Abigail

Hmm, could this be man-made?


16 posted on 02/18/2005 1:41:56 AM PST by I_dmc
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To: Mother Abigail

Go to the Drudge Report, there is a carrier that has had sex with over a hundred men. The possibility was too real to not think there was a carrier.


17 posted on 02/25/2005 9:15:20 AM PST by vetvetdoug (Just when one thinks life is strange, it gets stranger.)
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