Differential patterns of postmigration HIV-1 infection acquisition among Portuguese immigrants of different geographical origins

Determinants of HIV-1 transmission clusters and transmitted drug resistance in men who have sex with men: A multicenter study in Portugal (2014-2019)

INTRODUCTION

In the EU/EEA, men who have sex with men (MSM) is a priority group for the prevention and control of HIV-1 infection. In Portugal, the 2023 HIV incidence rate was 8.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, with 876 new infections, 41.7% in MSM. We aim to characterize HIV-1 transmission clusters (TC) and transmitted drug resistance (TDR) and its sociodemographic, behavioral, clinical, and viral genomic determinants in MSM newly diagnosed in Portugal between 2014 and 2019.

METHODS

A total of 340 MSM newly diagnosed with HIV-1 infection at 17 hospitals in Portugal were included. TC was identified with branch support ≥90% and 1.5% genetic distance. Logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated with TC and TDR.

RESULTS

We identified 38 TC with 104 MSM, which includes 81 (26.6%) of the 305 MSM from our sample included in cluster analysis. The overall prevalence of TDR was 8.2%. Only HIV-1 subtype C was significantly associated with TDR. Overall, 10.5% of the clusters had at least 1 surveillance drug resistance mutation. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of TDR or the proportion of Portuguese and migrant MSM inside and outside clusters. Age at diagnosis, district of residence, unprotected sex with a woman, HIV testing, presenter status, and HIV-1 subtype were significantly associated with TC.

CONCLUSION

Specific subgroups of MSM are contributing to HIV-1 clustered transmission in Portugal. However, no association was found between TDR and sociodemographic or behavioral factors. Directed prevention measures should focus on those subgroups.

Optimization of Chinese film and television communication technology in Portuguese-speaking areas under the application of digital Internet of Things

With the continuous change and progress of the world system, cultural communication has become a vital topic in today's society. This study aims to optimize the communication effect of Chinese film in Portuguese-speaking countries and promote the development of cultural communication in China through deep learning (DL) technology. First, this study utilizes DL technology to design film feature recognition and classification models to provide technical support for Chinese film communication. Second, by exploring the principle, development, and function of the digital Internet of Things, the study analyzes the evolution and spread of Chinese film in Portuguese-speaking countries and uses the Bayes algorithm to optimize the model. The results show that the calculation time of the designed model is shorter and the accuracy is higher, which offers an important reference for the effective communication of Chinese films in Portuguese-speaking countries. Hence, this study not only provides technical support for the improvement of the international communication effect of Chinese film but also contributes to the development of cultural communication in China.

Applying Next-Generation Sequencing to Track HIV-1 Drug Resistance Mutations Circulating in Portugal

BACKGROUND

The global scale-up of antiretroviral treatment (ART) offers significant health benefits by suppressing HIV-1 replication and increasing CD4 cell counts. However, incomplete viral suppression poses a potential threat for the emergence of drug resistance mutations (DRMs), limiting ART options, and increasing HIV transmission.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the patterns of transmitted drug resistance (TDR) and acquired drug resistance (ADR) among HIV-1 patients in Portugal.

METHODS

Data were obtained from 1050 HIV-1 patient samples submitted for HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) testing from January 2022 to June 2023. Evaluation of DRM affecting viral susceptibility to nucleoside/tide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), protease inhibitors (PIs), and integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) was performed using an NGS technology, the Vela Diagnostics Sentosa SQ HIV-1 Genotyping Assay.

RESULTS

About 71% of patients were ART naïve and 29% were experienced. Overall, 20% presented with any DRM. The prevalence of TDR and ADR was 12.6% and 41.1%, respectively. M184V, T215S, and M41L mutations for NRTI, K103N for NNRTI, and M46I/L for PIs were frequent in naïve and treated patients. E138K and R263K mutations against INSTIs were more frequent in naïve than treated patients. TDR and ADR to INSTIs were 0.3% and 7%, respectively. Patients aged 50 or over (OR: 1.81, p = 0.015), originating from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOPs) (OR: 1.55, p = 0.050), HIV-1 subtype G (OR: 1.78, p = 0.010), and with CD4 < 200 cells/mm3 (OR: 1.70, p = 0.043) were more likely to present with DRMs, while the males (OR: 0.63, p = 0.003) with a viral load between 4.1 to 5.0 Log10 (OR: 0.55, p = 0.003) or greater than 5.0 Log10 (OR: 0.52, p < 0.001), had lower chances of presenting with DRMs.

CONCLUSIONS

We present the first evidence on TDR and ADR to INSTI regimens in followed up patients presenting for healthcare in Portugal. We observed low levels of TDR to INSTIs among ART-naïve and moderate levels in ART-exposed patients. Regimens containing PIs could be an alternative second line in patients with intermediate or high-level drug resistance, especially against second-generation INSTIs (dolutegravir, bictegravir, and cabotegravir).

Sexual exposure to HIV in Angolan men who have sex with men immigrants: A cross-sectional study in Portugal and Brazil

BACKGROUND

In different contexts, international migrants are vulnerable to health disparities that increase the risk of HIV/AIDS exposure and continue to bear a significant burden of new virus infections in developed and developing countries. In this study, we sought to examine sexual practices and factors linked to HIV exposure among a sample of Angolan men who have sex with men (MSM) immigrants.

METHODS

The study was conducted in two Portuguese-speaking countries, Brazil and Portugal, and involved 250 Angolan MSM immigrants between September 2020 and February 2021, using sampling methods to constitute the sample and the HIV Incidence Risk Index (HIRI) to define virus exposure risk. Odds ratio (OR) and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) were used to calculate the chances of higher HIRI index in the sample.

RESULTS

Our results showed that 76.8% of participants presented a high HIRI index, influenced by the practice of chemsex (aOR: 4.26), having a known/repeated partner (aOR: 4.59), and engaging in passive sex without a condom in the last 30 days (aOR: 1.29) or 6 months (aOR: 1.98).

CONCLUSIONS

It is crucial to focus on this vulnerable population and implement sexual health policies that integrate combined HIV prevention measures aimed at immigrant MSM.

The International Virus Bioinformatics Meeting 2023

The 2023 International Virus Bioinformatics Meeting was held in Valencia, Spain, from 24-26 May 2023, attracting approximately 180 participants worldwide. The primary objective of the conference was to establish a dynamic scientific environment conducive to discussion, collaboration, and the generation of novel research ideas. As the first in-person event following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the meeting facilitated highly interactive exchanges among attendees. It served as a pivotal gathering for gaining insights into the current status of virus bioinformatics research and engaging with leading researchers and emerging scientists. The event comprised eight invited talks, 19 contributed talks, and 74 poster presentations across eleven sessions spanning three days. Topics covered included machine learning, bacteriophages, virus discovery, virus classification, virus visualization, viral infection, viromics, molecular epidemiology, phylodynamic analysis, RNA viruses, viral sequence analysis, viral surveillance, and metagenomics. This report provides rewritten abstracts of the presentations, a summary of the key research findings, and highlights shared during the meeting.

HIV-1-Transmitted Drug Resistance and Transmission Clusters in Newly Diagnosed Patients in Portugal Between 2014 and 2019

Objective

To describe and analyze transmitted drug resistance (TDR) between 2014 and 2019 in newly infected patients with HIV-1 in Portugal and to characterize its transmission networks.

Methods

Clinical, socioepidemiological, and risk behavior data were collected from 820 newly diagnosed patients in Portugal between September 2014 and December 2019. The sequences obtained from drug resistance testing were used for subtyping, TDR determination, and transmission cluster (TC) analyses.

Results

In Portugal, the overall prevalence of TDR between 2014 and 2019 was 11.0%. TDR presented a decreasing trend from 16.7% in 2014 to 9.2% in 2016 (p _for-trend = 0.114). Multivariate analysis indicated that TDR was significantly associated with transmission route (MSM presented a lower probability of presenting TDR when compared to heterosexual contact) and with subtype (subtype C presented significantly more TDR when compared to subtype B). TC analysis corroborated that the heterosexual risk group presented a higher proportion of TDR in TCs when compared to MSMs. Among subtype A1, TDR reached 16.6% in heterosexuals, followed by 14.2% in patients infected with subtype B and 9.4% in patients infected with subtype G.

Conclusion

Our molecular epidemiology approach indicates that the HIV-1 epidemic in Portugal is changing among risk group populations, with heterosexuals showing increasing levels of HIV-1 transmission and TDR. Prevention measures for this subpopulation should be reinforced.