Casado, ConcepcionPernas, MariaSandonis-Martin, VirginiaAlvaro-Cifuentes, TamaraOlivares, IsabelFuentes-Fernandez, RosaMartínez-Prats, LorenaGrau, EulaliaRuiz, LidiaDelgado, RafaelRodríguez, Carmendel Romero, JorgeLopez-Galindez, Luis Cecilio2019-05-212019-05-212013PLoS One. 2013 Oct 30;8(10):e77663.1932-6203http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/7627Long term non-progressor patients (LTNPs) are characterized by the natural control of HIV-1 infection. This control is related to host genetic, immunological and virological factors. In this work, phylogenetic analysis of the proviral nucleotide sequences in env gene from a Spanish HIV-1 LTNPs cohort identified a cluster of 6 HIV-1 controllers infected with closely-related viruses. The patients of the cluster showed common clinical and epidemiological features: drug user practices, infection in the same city (Madrid, Spain) and at the same time (late 70's-early 80's). All cluster patients displayed distinct host alleles associated with HIV control. Analysis of the virus envelope nucleotide sequences showed ancestral characteristic, lack of evolution and presence of rare amino-acids. Biological characterization of recombinant viruses with the envelope proteins from the cluster viruses showed very low replicative capacity in TZMbl and U87-CD4/CCR5 cells. The lack of clinical progression in the viral cluster patients with distinct combinations of protective host genotypes, but infected by low replicating viruses, indicate the important role of the virus in the non-progressor phenotype in these patients.engVoRAllelesDisease ProgressionFemaleGenes, envHIV InfectionsHIV Long-Term SurvivorsHIV-1HumansMalePhylogenySpainVirus Replicationenv Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency VirusAtribución 4.0 Internacional24204910810e7766310.1371/journal.pone.00776631932-6203PloS oneopen access