Genetic history of Hepatitis C virus in Venezuela: high diversity and long time of evolution of HCV genotype 2

Background: The subtype diversity of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes is unknown in Venezuela. Methodology/Principal Findings: Partial sequencing of the NS5B region was performed in 310 isolates circulating in patients from 1995 to 2007. In the samples collected between 2005 and 2007, HCV genotype 1 (G1) was the most common genotype (63%), composed as expected of mainly G1a and G1b. G2 was the second most common genotype (33%), being G2a almost absent and G2j the most frequent subtype. Sequence analysis of the core region confirmed the subtype assignment performed within the NS5b region in 63 isolates. The complete genome sequence of G2j was obtained. G2j has been described in France, Canada and Burkina Fasso, but it was not found in Martinique, where several subtypes of G2 circulate in the general population. Bayesian coalescence analysis indicated a most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of G2j around 1785, before the introduction of G1b (1869) and G1a (1922). While HCV G1a and G1b experienced a growth reduction since 1990, coincident with the time when blood testing was implemented in Venezuela, HCV G2j did not seem to reach growth equilibrium during this period. Conclusions/Significance: Assuming the introduction of G2j from Africa during the slave trade, the high frequency of G2j found in Venezuela could suggest: 1- the introduction of African ethnic groups different from the ones introduced to Martinique or 2- the occurrence of a founder effect. This study represents an in-depth analysis of the subtype diversity of HCV in Venezuela, which is still unexplored in the Americas and deserves further studies.Fil: Sulbarán, Maria Z.. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas; VenezuelaFil: Di Lello, Federico Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Sulbarán, Yoneira. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas; VenezuelaFil: Cosson, Clarisa. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas; VenezuelaFil: Loureiro, Carmen. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas; VenezuelaFil: Rangel, Héctor R.. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas; VenezuelaFil: Cantaloube, Jean F.. Etablissement Français du Sang Alpes-Méditerranée. Unité Emergence et Co-évolution virale; FranciaFil: Campos, Rodolfo Hector. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Moratorio, Gonzalo. Universidad de la Republica; Uruguay. Instituto Pasteur de Montevideo; UruguayFil: Cristina, Juan. Universidad de la Republica; UruguayFil: Pujol, Flor H.. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas; Venezuel

Demographic History of Indigenous Populations in Mesoamerica Based on mtDNA Sequence Data

The genetic characterization of Native American groups provides insights into their history and demographic events. We sequenced the mitochondrial D-loop region (control region) of 520 samples from eight Mexican indigenous groups. In addition to an analysis of the genetic diversity, structure and genetic relationship between 28 Native American populations, we applied Bayesian skyline methodology for a deeper insight into the history of Mesoamerica. AMOVA tests applying cultural, linguistic and geographic criteria were performed. MDS plots showed a central cluster of Oaxaca and Maya populations, whereas those from the North and West were located on the periphery. Demographic reconstruction indicates higher values of the effective number of breeding females (Nef) in Central Mesoamerica during the Preclassic period, whereas this pattern moves toward the Classic period for groups in the North and West. Conversely, Nef minimum values are distributed either in the Lithic period (i.e. founder effects) or in recent periods (i.e. population declines). The Mesomerican regions showed differences in population fluctuation as indicated by the maximum Inter-Generational Rate (IGRmax): i) Center-South from the lithic period until the Preclassic; ii) West from the beginning of the Preclassic period until early Classic; iii) North characterized by a wide range of temporal variation from the Lithic to the Preclassic. Our findings are consistent with the genetic variations observed between central, South and Southeast Mesoamerica and the North-West region that are related to differences in genetic drift, structure, and temporal survival strategies (agriculture versus hunter-gathering, respectively). Interestingly, although the European contact had a major negative demographic impact, we detect a previous decline in Mesoamerica that had begun a few hundred years before

The complete genome sequence of Chromobacterium violaceum reveals remarkable and exploitable bacterial adaptability

Chromobacterium violaceum is one of millions of species of free-living microorganisms that populate the soil and water in the extant areas of tropical biodiversity around the world. Its complete genome sequence reveals (i) extensive alternative pathways for energy generation, (ii) ≈500 ORFs for transport-related proteins, (iii) complex and extensive systems for stress adaptation and motility, and (iv) wide-spread utilization of quorum sensing for control of inducible systems, all of which underpin the versatility and adaptability of the organism. The genome also contains extensive but incomplete arrays of ORFs coding for proteins associated with mammalian pathogenicity, possibly involved in the occasional but often fatal cases of human C. violaceum infection. There is, in addition, a series of previously unknown but important enzymes and secondary metabolites including paraquat-inducible proteins, drug and heavy-metal-resistance proteins, multiple chitinases, and proteins for the detoxification of xenobiotics that may have biotechnological applications

Evidence of at least two introductions of HIV-1 in the Amerindian Warao population from Venezuela.

BACKGROUND: The Venezuelan Amerindians were, until recently, free of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, in 2007, HIV-1 infection was detected for the first time in the Warao Amerindian population living in the Eastern part of Venezuela, in the delta of the Orinoco river. The aim of this study was to analyze the genetic diversity of the HIV-1 circulating in this population. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The pol genomic region was sequenced for 16 HIV-1 isolates and for some of them, sequences from env, vif and nef genomic regions were obtained. All HIV-1 isolates were classified as subtype B, with exception of one that was classified as subtype C. The 15 subtype B isolates exhibited a high degree of genetic similarity and formed a highly supported monophyletic cluster in each genomic region analyzed. Evolutionary analyses of the pol genomic region indicated that the date of the most recent common ancestor of the Waraos subtype B clade dates back to the late 1990s. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: At least two independent introductions of HIV-1 have occurred in the Warao Amerindians from Venezuela. The HIV-1 subtype B was successfully established and got disseminated in the community, while no evidence of local dissemination of the HIV-1 subtype C was detected in this study. These results warrant further surveys to evaluate the burden of this disease, which can be particularly devastating in this Amerindian population, with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, hepatitis B, among other infectious diseases, and with limited access to primary health care

Evaluación estética de seis tipos de coronas para dientes primarios

Objetivo: Evaluar las preferencias estéticas en relación con el color y la forma de coronas primarias utilizadas para dientes incisivos superiores primarios, mediante la realización de una encuesta a miembros de la Academia Mexicana de Odontología Pediatrica (AMOP). Material y Métodos: Se establecieron seis grupos de estudio con seis coronas diferentes: grupo 1, coronas de zirconia EZ-Pedo; grupo 2, coronas de zirconia NuSmile Zr; grupo 3, coronas estéticas hechas en el consultorio; grupo 4, coronas de fundas de celuloide; grupo 5, coronas estéticas prefabricadas NuSmile signature; y grupo 6, coronas estéticas fenestradas. Se llevaron a cabo encuestas con la finalidad de conocer las preferencias estéticas de estas diferentes coronas, con la finalidad de conocer cuál es la mejor opción para su uso en el consultorio dental. Resultados: Noventa miembros de la AMOP realizaron una encuesta válida, y se determinó que el grupo 4 fue el mejor evaluado, seguido de los grupos 2, 5, 1, 6 y 3. Se identificaron diferencias significativas entre los diferentes grupos. Conclusiones: Las coronas de fundas de celuloide fueron seleccionadas como mejor alternativa de uso en los dientes primarios anteriores, por parte de los miembros de la AMOP; asimismo, se consideró a las coronas de zirconia como una buena opción terapéutica. Es recomendable que se implemente el tratamiento estético en dientes primarios, para realizar un tratamiento integral

Evaluación estética de seis tipos de coronas para dientes primarios

Objetivo: Evaluar las preferencias estéticas en relación con el color y la forma de coronas primarias utilizadas para dientes incisivos superiores primarios, mediante la realización de una encuesta a miembros de la Academia Mexicana de Odontología Pediatrica (AMOP). Material y Métodos: Se establecieron seis grupos de estudio con seis coronas diferentes: grupo 1, coronas de zirconia EZ-Pedo; grupo 2, coronas de zirconia NuSmile Zr; grupo 3, coronas estéticas hechas en el consultorio; grupo 4, coronas de fundas de celuloide; grupo 5, coronas estéticas prefabricadas NuSmile signature; y grupo 6, coronas estéticas fenestradas. Se llevaron a cabo encuestas con la finalidad de conocer las preferencias estéticas de estas diferentes coronas, con la finalidad de conocer cuál es la mejor opción para su uso en el consultorio dental. Resultados: Noventa miembros de la AMOP realizaron una encuesta válida, y se determinó que el grupo 4 fue el mejor evaluado, seguido de los grupos 2, 5, 1, 6 y 3. Se identificaron diferencias significativas entre los diferentes grupos. Conclusiones: Las coronas de fundas de celuloide fueron seleccionadas como mejor alternativa de uso en los dientes primarios anteriores, por parte de los miembros de la AMOP; asimismo, se consideró a las coronas de zirconia como una buena opción terapéutica. Es recomendable que se implemente el tratamiento estético en dientes primarios, para realizar un tratamiento integral

Insertions in the Reverse Transcriptase Increase both Drug Resistance and Viral Fitness in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Isolate Harboring the Multi-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor Resistance 69 Insertion Complex Mutation

Recent studies have shown that the accumulation of multiple mutations associated with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) resistance may be grouped as multi-NRTI resistance (MNR) complexes. In this study, we have examined the viral fitness of recombinant viruses carrying the reverse transcriptase (RT) of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) primary isolate harboring mutations comprising the MNR 69 insertion complex. Different RT mutants were prepared in the sequence context of either the wild-type RT sequence of the HIV-1(BH10) isolate or the sequence found in a clinical HIV-1 isolate with the MNR 69 insertion mutation. As expected, in the presence of zidovudine, recombinant viruses harboring the MNR RT from the patient were more fit than wild-type viruses. However, in the absence of drug, the virus with the RT from the original clinical isolate (SS) was more fit than (i) the wild-type virus with an engineered serine insertion between residues 69 and 70 (T69SSS) and (ii) the recombinant virus with the MNR RT where the insertion was removed (2S0S). These results suggest that RT insertions, in the right sequence context (i.e., additional mutations contained in the MNR 69 insertion complex), enhance NRTI resistance and may improve viral fitness. Thus, comparing complex mutation patterns with viral fitness may help to elucidate the role of uncharacterized drug resistance mutations in antiretroviral treatment failure

Decreasing prevalence of Hepatitis B and absence of Hepatitis C Virus infection in the Warao indigenous population of Venezuela.

Prevalence and molecular epidemiology studies for hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) virus are scarce in Warao Amerindians from Venezuela, where an epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has recently been documented. To carry out a molecular epidemiology analysis of hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) virus in Warao individuals from the Delta Amacuro State of Venezuela. A total of 548 sera were tested for serological and molecular markers for HBV and HCV. The prevalence of active infection (presence of HBV surface antigen, HBsAg), exposure to HBV (presence of Antibody to HBV core antigen, anti-HBc) and anti-HCV, was 1.8%, 13% and 0% respectively. HBV exposure was significantly lower in men below 18 years old and also lower than rates previously reported in other Amerindian communities from Venezuela. Thirty one percent (31%, 25/80) of individuals without evidence of HBV infection exhibited anti-HBs titer ≥ 10U.I / ml, being significantly more frequent in individuals younger than 20 years. A higher HBV exposure was observed among HIV-1 positive individuals (33% vs 11%, p <0.005). A high prevalence of occult HBV infection was also observed (5.6%, 11/195). Phylogenetic analysis of S gene and complete HBV genomes showed that F3 is the only circulating subgenotype, different from the F2 subgenotype found in 1991 in this population. These results suggest a recent introduction of subgenotype F3, with a low divergence among the isolates. These results highlight the importance of molecular epidemiology studies for viral control, and support the effectiveness of vaccination in reducing transmission of HBV

Maximum likelihood tree of the <i>pol</i> (approximately 1400 nt) and <i>env</i> (approximately 280 nt) genes of HIV-1 subtype B strains circulating in Venezuela.

<p>HIV-1 subtype B sequences infecting Waraos are shown in red while sequence from patient 162 is shown in blue. The aLRT support values are indicated only at key nodes. The tree was rooted using subtype C reference strains (grey branches) as outgroups. Horizontal branch lengths are drawn to scale with the bar at the bottom indicating nucleotide substitutions per site.</p