Document 0385
 DOCN  M9590385
 TI    Molecular epidemiology, genetic variation and phylogeny of HIV/SIV and
       HTLV/STLV.
 DT    9509
 AU    Saksena N; Virology Department, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, NSW.
 SO    Annu Conf Australas Soc HIV Med. 1994 Nov 3-6;6:103 (unnumbered
       abstract). Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ASHM6/95291714
 AB    Currently, two human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1 and HIV-2) and six
       SIVs are recognised. Up to 50% of African green monkeys (AGMs) in their
       natural habitat are asymptomatic carriers of Simian Immunodeficiency
       Virus (SIV) and 30% of AGMs are naturally infected with Simian T-cell
       Leukemia Virus type-1 (STLV-1). Thus these primates provide an
       attractive model to study the origin, epidemiologic link between humans
       and nonhuman primates, host virus adaptation, and pathogenicity of
       lentiviruses and primate T-cell lymphoma/leukemia viruses (PTLVs). For
       this study, several hundred primates of different species were screened
       from Central and Western Africa for SIV and STLV-1 natural infection. A
       number of native human populations from Central Africa (a region endemic
       for HIV and HTLV infection) were also screened for HIV and HTLV using
       conventional serology, PCR and sequencing techniques. Our studies
       indicate that there are 4 major groups of AGMs (vervet, tantalus, grivet
       and sabaeus) and each of this group has a distinct SIV. Genetic
       variation studies based on the env region clearly shows that infection
       of AGM species took place before their speciation. Interestingly, the
       tantalus monkeys harbor the most divergent forms of SIV and STLV. There
       is a close genetic relationship between STLV and HTLV isolates from both
       Central and Western Africa. Also, a high heterogeneity among PTLVs in CA
       indicates that the PTLVs had been longer in CA than they had been in WA
       which is known to be the point of origin for the cosmopolitan HTLV-1
       isolates. This study will discuss various aspects of molecular
       epidemiology, genetic variability, in vivo transmission, and evolution
       of these 2 important human retroviruses.
 DE    Animal  Cercopithecus aethiops  Human  HIV/*GENETICS  HTLV-BLV
       Viruses/*GENETICS  *Phylogeny  Species Specificity  SIV/*GENETICS
       STLV/*GENETICS  *Variation (Genetics)  Virulence  MEETING ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).