Researchers in the Netherlands have discovered a “highly virulent variant” of HIV that causes a more rapid decline in immune system strength and can result in more damaging health outcomes if not treated early.
The study found that patients infected with the variant of subtype-B HIV-1, dubbed the VB variant, showed “significant” differences before antiretroviral treatment compared with individuals infected with other HIV variants.
According to the study, individuals with the VB variant reported a higher level of the virus in their blood and showed a CD4 cell count that declined twice as fast as those infected with other strains. CD4 cells, also known as T-cells, are a subset of white blood cells that fight infection and protect the body’s immune system.
The findings were published Thursday in Science, the peer-reviewed academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Researchers analyzed 109 patients with the VB variant and compared them to patients of other, subtype-B HIV strains. The study notes the age, sex and suspected mode of transmission for these 109 individuals were all typical for people living with HIV in the Netherlands.
The VB variant was first identified in 17 HIV positive individuals — 15 of whom were from the Netherlands — from the BEEHIVE project, an ongoing study that collects samples from across Europe and Uganda. Researchers then analyzed data from a cohort of more than 6,700 HIV positive patients in the country and identified an additional 92 people with the variant.
According to the study, these individuals had a viral load that was between 3.5 and 5.5 times higher than average. In addition, researchers found the rate of CD4 cell decline occurred twice as fast in individuals with the VB variant, placing them at higher risk of developing AIDS more rapidly.
Researchers say individuals with the VB variant also showed an increased risk of transmitting the virus to others.
-CTVNEWS-