A Cluster Of Rapid Disease Progressors Upon Primary Hiv-1 Infection Shared A Novel Variant With Mutations In The P6(Gag/Pol) And Pol/Vif Genes

Few studies have described the etiologic factors associated with rapid AIDS onset during primary HIV-1 infection. Our molecular epidemiological study identified a cluster of individuals infected with HIV-1 variants characterized by novel mutations in the p6(gag/pol) and pol/vif genes during 2011 and 2013 in Osaka, Japan. Individuals positive for the novel HIV-1 variant showed rapid disease progression, suggesting a role of viral mutations in the fostering of the clinical course of HIV-1 infection.