New highly virulent and damaging HIV variant discovered in the
Netherlands

Date:
February 4, 2022
Source:
University of Oxford
Summary:
A new HIV variant with higher virulence and more damaging health
impacts has been discovered in a new study.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
As the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated, new mutations
in viral genetic sequences can have significant impacts on the virus's transmissibility and the damage it causes. For many years, there have
been concerns that this could arise in the HIV-1 virus, which already
affects 38 million people worldwide, and has caused 33 million deaths to
date. This has now been confirmed with the discovery of a new, highly
virulent HIV strain in the Netherlands, in a study led by researchers
from the University of Oxford's Big Data Institute. The results are
published in Science.


========================================================================== Individuals infected with the new "VB variant" (for virulent subtype B)
showed significant differences before antiretroviral treatment compared
with individuals infected with other HIV variants:
* Individuals with the VB variant had a viral load (the level of
the virus
in the blood) between 3.5 and 5.5 times higher.

* In addition, the rate of CD4 cell decline (the hallmark of immune
system
damage by HIV) occurred twice as fast in individuals with the VB
variant, placing them at risk of developing AIDS much more rapidly.

* Individuals with the VB variant also showed an increased risk of
transmitting the virus to others.

Reassuringly, after starting treatment, individuals with the VB variant
had similar immune system recovery and survival to individuals with
other HIV variants. However, the researchers stress that because the VB
variant causes a more rapid decline in immune system strength, this makes
it critical that individuals are diagnosed early and start treatment as
soon as possible.

Further research to understand the mechanism that causes the VB variant
to be more transmissible and damaging to the immune system could reveal
new targets for next-generation antiretroviral drugs. The VB variant is characterized by many mutations spread throughout the genome, meaning
that a single genetic cause cannot be identified at this stage.

Lead author Dr Chris Wymant, from the University of Oxford's Big Data
Institute and Nuffield Department of Medicine, said: 'Before this study,
the genetics of the HIV virus were known to be relevant for virulence,
implying that the evolution of a new variant could change its impact on
health. Discovery of the VB variant demonstrated this, providing a rare
example of the risk posed by viral virulence evolution.' Senior author Professor Christophe Fraser from the University of Oxford's Big Data
Institute and Nuffield Department of Medicine, added: 'Our findings
emphasise the importance of World Health Organization guidance that
individuals at risk of acquiring HIV have access to regular testing to
allow early diagnosis, followed by immediate treatment. This limits
the amount of time HIV can damage an individual's immune system and
jeopardise their health. It also ensures that HIV is suppressed as
quickly as possible, which prevents transmission to other individuals.'
The VB variant was first identified in 17 HIV positive individuals from
the BEEHIVE project, an ongoing study which collects samples from across
Europe and Uganda. Since 15 of these people came from the Netherlands,
the researchers then analysed data from a cohort of over 6,700 HIV
positive individuals in the Netherlands. This identified an additional
92 individuals with the variant, from all regions of the Netherlands,
bringing the total to 109.

By analysing the patterns of genetic variation among the samples,
the researchers estimate that the VB variant first arose during the
late 1980s and 1990s in the Netherlands. It spread more quickly than
other HIV variants during the 2000s, but its spread has been declining
since around 2010. The research team believe that the VB variant arose
in spiteof widespread treatment in the Netherlands, not because of it,
since effective treatment can suppress transmission.

The individuals with the VB variant showed typical characteristics
for people living with HIV in the Netherlands, including age, sex,
and suspected mode of transmission. This indicates that the increased transmissibility of the VB variant is due to a property of the virus
itself, rather than a characteristic of people with the virus.

The full paper, 'A highly virulent variant of HIV-1 circulating in the Netherlands', can be read in the journal Science.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Oxford. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Chris Wymant, Daniela Bezemer, Franc,ois Blanquart, Luca Ferretti,
Astrid
Gall, Matthew Hall, Tanya Golubchik, Margreet Bakker, Swee Hoe
Ong, Lele Zhao, David Bonsall, Mariateresa de Cesare, George
MacIntyre-Cockett, Lucie Abeler-Do"rner, Jan Albert, Norbert
Bannert, Jacques Fellay, M.

Kate Grabowski, Barbara Gunsenheimer-Bartmeyer, Huldrych
F. Gu"nthard, Pia Kivela", Roger D. Kouyos, Oliver Laeyendecker,
Laurence Meyer, Kholoud Porter, Matti Ristola, Ard van Sighem,
Ben Berkhout, Paul Kellam, Marion Cornelissen, Peter Reiss,
Christophe Fraser, the Netherlands ATHENA HIV Observational Cohort,
and the BEEHIVE Collaboration. A highly virulent variant of HIV-1
circulating in the Netherlands. Science, 2022; 375 (6580): 540 DOI:
10.1126/science.abk1688 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220203161151.htm

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