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Genomic variation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1): molecular analyses of HIV-1 in sequential blood samples and various organs obtained at autopsy

¹ Regional Virus Laboratory, East Birmingham Hospital, Birmingham B9 5ST,
² Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS,
³ Midland Centre for Neurosurgery and Neurology, Smethwick, Warley, West Midlands B67 7JX
and⁴ Clinical Microbiology and Public Health Laboratory, Level 6, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QW, U.K.

Length polymorphisms and partial nucleotide sequences were determined for the hypervariable regions, V1 to V5, of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) env gene obtained from proviral DNA of sequential peripheral blood samples, from viral RNA in plasma, and from proviral DNA obtained from different organs of individuals at autopsy. The lengths of several env regions of HIV-1 proviral DNA differed markedly when obtained from different organs of an individual. Nucleotide sequences of the hypervariable V3 region of HIV-1 obtained from different organs of one patient demonstrated distinct viral variants. Most proviral DNA sequences found in organs were also present in viral RNA obtained from plasma. The majority of HIV-1 V3 variants present in the lymph tissue could be found in the plasma viral population obtained at autopsy and in the sequential blood samples obtained before death, but were absent from the cardiac blood provirus population obtained at autopsy. However, sequence variants found in the brain proviral DNA were not detected in either plasma or the sequential blood samples. Sequence differences were observed at the apex of the V3 loop between HIV-1 variants present in sequential blood samples and in blood lymphocytes and nervous tissue, lymph tissue and plasma obtained post-mortem. The potential effect of lymph tissue on the long-term persistence of different viral variants is discussed. Virus obtained from the two sequential blood samples produced syncytia in primary cultures and was easily transmitted to the continuous JM cell line. Consensus (majority) V3 loop sequences determined for the adapted viruses demonstrated that some, but not all, sequences were represented within the in vivo viral population.

Received 14 June 1993; accepted 19 October 1993.