Molecular subtyping of the HIV-1 V3 loop sequences detected in HIV-1-positive patients in southern Taiwan.

Polymerase chain reaction and nucleotide sequence analysis were performed to amplify and determine the V3 loop sequences of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) from ten seropositive patients at National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan. The nucleotide sequences and the deduced amino acid (a. a.) sequences of these V3 regions were compared with those of known HIV-1 prototypes. The V3 loop a. a. sequences detected in eight individuals belong to subtype B which predominates in North America and Europe, whereas two individuals were infected with HIV-1 subtype E which is mainly found in the heterosexual populations of Thailand. Sequence analysis of these variant HIV-1 strains revealed a number of interesting features and a phylogenetic tree was also constructed according to the V3 loop nucleotide sequences of these variant strains and HIV-1 isolates from other parts of the world. Furthermore, our results suggest that the north vs south geographical separation in terms of HIV-1 epidemiology in Taiwan is insignificant.