Prevalence of HIV-1 subtypes among men who have sex with men in China: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE: Distribution of HIV-1 prevalent strains are still complex in China. Men who have sex with men (MSM) play an important bridging role in spreading HIV. The aim of our study is to quantitatively evaluate the prevalence of HIV-1 subtypes among the MSM in China from published studies. METHODS: Relevant studies were searched by selection criteria from CNKI, CBM, Pubmed, etc. We computed the estimates of the pooled proportion of HIV-1 subtypes. Heterogeneity between studies was investigated and measured using Cochran’ Q statistic and the I2 statistic. All analysis was conducted by R 2.13.1. RESULTS: A meta-analysis was performed, which included 19 articles. For comprehensive analysis of env, gag and pol genes, the pooled estimates for the prevalence of subtype B was 28.25% (95% CI: 18.10-39.66%), CRF01_AE was 53.46% (95% CI: 46.11-60.74%), CRF07_BC was 18.66% (95% CI: 13.06-25.01%) and CRF08_BC was 5.85% (95% CI: 2.73-10.07%), respectively. In subgroup analysis, the proportion of subtype B decreased, while the proportion of CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC showed an increasing tendency. Beijing, Guangdong and Henan province had high proportion of subtype CRF01_AE while Guangdong and Hebei province had the highest proportion of subtype B and CRF07_BC, respectively. CONCLUSION: A high genetic variability of HIV-1 presents a serious challenge for HIV prevention and treatment strategies among MSM in China.

• Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
  • Epidemiology
• Population(s)
  • Men who have sex with men