Evaluation of HIV transmission clusters among natives and foreigners living in Italy
- Authors: Fabeni L.; Santoro M.M.; Lorenzini P.; Rusconi S.; Gianotti N.; Costantini A.; Sarmati L.; Antinori A.; Ceccherini-Silberstein F.; d'Arminio Monforte A.; Saracino A.; Girardi E.; Castagna A.; Castelli F.; Cauda R.; Di Perri G.; Galli M.; Iardino R.; Ippolito G.; Lazzarin A.; Marchetti G.C.; Rezza G.; von Schloesser F.; Viale P.; Cozzi-Lepri A.; Gori A.; Lo Caputo S.; Maggiolo F.; Mussini C.; Puoti M.; Perno C.F.; Bai F.; Bandera A.; Bonora S.; Borderi M.; Calcagno A.; Capobianchi M.R.; Cicalini S.; Cingolani A.; Cinque P.; Di Biagio A.; Gagliardini R.; Guaraldi G.; Lapadula G.; Lichtner M.; Lai A.; Madeddu G.; Merlini E.; Nozza S.; Piconi S.; Pinnetti C.; Quiros Roldan E.; Rossotti R.; Spagnuolo V.; Svicher V.; Taramasso L.; Fanti I.; Galli L.; Rodano A.; Macchia M.; Tavelli A.; Bove A.; Camposeragna A.; Errico M.; Manfredini M.; Perziano A.; Calvino V.; Carrara S.; Di Caro A.; Graziano S.; Petroni F.; Prota G.; Truffa S.; Giacometti A.; Barocci V.; Angarano G.; Monno L.; Milano E.; Suardi C.; Donati V.; Verucchi G.; Castelnuovo F.; Minardi C.; Menzaghi B.; Abeli C.; Chessa L.; Pes F.; Cacopardo B.; Celesia B.; Vecchiet J.; Falasca K.; Pan A.; Lorenzotti S.; Sighinolfi L.; Segala D.; Blanc P.; Vichi F.; Cassola G.; Bassetti M.; Alessandrini A.; Bobbio N.; Mazzarello G.; Fondaco L.; Bonfanti P.; Molteni C.; Chiodera A.; Milini P.; Nunnari G.; Pellicano G.; Rizzardini G.; Cannizzo E.S.; Moioli M.C.; Piolini R.; Bernacchia D.; Poli A.; Tincati C.; Puzzolante C.; Migliorino C.; Sangiovanni V.; Borgia G.; Esposito V.; Di Flumeri G.; Gentile I.; Rizzo V.; Cattelan A.M.; Marinello S.; Cascio A.; Trizzino M.; Francisci D.; Schiaroli E.; Parruti G.; Sozio F.; Lazzaretti C.; Corsini R.; Cristaudo A.; Vullo V.; Acinapura R.; Lamonica S.; Capozzi M.; Mondi A.; Rivano Capparuccia M.; Iaiani G.; Latini A.; Onnelli G.; Plazzi M.M.; de Girolamo G.; Vergori A.; Cecchetto M.; Viviani F.; de Vito A.; Rossetti B.; Montagnani F.; Franco A.; Fontana Del Vecchio R.; Di Giuli C.; Caramello P.; Orofino G.C.; Sciandra M.; Londero A.; Manfrin V.; Battagin G.; Starnini G.; Ialungo A.
- Publication year: 2020
- Type: Articolo in rivista
- OA Link: http://hdl.handle.net/10447/510194
Abstract
We aimed at evaluating the characteristics of HIV-1 molecular transmission clusters (MTCs) among natives and migrants living in Italy, diagnosed between 1998 and 2018. Phylogenetic analyses were performed on HIV-1 polymerase (pol) sequences to characterise subtypes and identify MTCs, divided into small (SMTCs, 2-3 sequences), medium (MMTCs, 4-9 sequences) and large (LMTCs, ≥10 sequences). Among 3499 drug-naïve individuals enrolled in the Italian Cohort Naive Antiretroviral (ICONA) cohort (2804 natives; 695 migrants), 726 (20.8%; 644 natives, 82 migrants) were involved in 228 MTCs (6 LMTCs, 36 MMTCs, 186 SMTCs). Migrants contributed 14.4% to SMTCs, 7.6% to MMTCs and 7.1% to LMTCs, respectively. HIV-1 non-B subtypes were found in 51 MTCs; noteworthy was that non-B infections involved in MTCs were more commonly found in natives (n = 47) than in migrants (n = 4). Factors such as Italian origin, being men who have sex with men (MSM), younger age, more recent diagnosis and a higher CD4 count were significantly associated with MTCs. Our findings show that HIV-1 clustering transmission among newly diagnosed individuals living in Italy is prevalently driven by natives, mainly MSM, with a more recent diagnosis and frequently infected with HIV-1 non-B subtypes. These results can contribute to monitoring of the HIV epidemic and guiding the public health response to prevent new HIV infections.