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In St Petersburg, Russia, a rapid HIV-testing programme was implemented in April 2004 for high-risk women giving birth. Among 670 women without prenatal care who received rapid HIV testing, 6.4% (43) had positive results. Among HIV-positive mothers, receipt of intrapartum antiretroviral prophylaxis increased significantly compared to pre-programme levels (76 versus 41%). Additionally, infant abandonment increased significantly (50% versus 26%), and was 10 times greater in women with unintended versus intended pregnancies (73% versus 7%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the impact of antiretroviral prophylaxis type and timing on perinatal HIV transmission in St. Petersburg, Russia. Researchers identify predictors of transmission using the surveillance data for HIV-infected mothers, who delivered from 2004-2007, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) data for infants. Results show that there is a low HIV transmission rate in women receiving early combination of antiretroviral prophylaxis.

Presents a study on mortality rates in Russia between 1984 and 1994 with questions as to the apparent life expectancy fluctuations being related to alcohol consumption. Background; Methods; Findings; Interpretation.

The HIV-1 epidemic in Russia has been insufficiently studied, with only 11 complete genome sequences from this country currently available, only three of which are of the locally predominant genetic form, the former Soviet Union (FSU) subtype A variant (A(FSU)). Here we analyze 10 newly derived A(FSU) near full-length genome sequences from Russia. Samples were selected based on phylogenetic clustering in protease-reverse transcriptase in two of the major A(FSU) clusters, V77I(PR) (n=6), widely circulating in Russia and other FSU countries, and A(SP1) (n=4), predominant in St. Petersburg. The phylogenetic analysis shows that the V77I(PR) genomes group in a monophyletic cluster together with 10 previously obtained A(FSU) genome sequences from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Cyprus, all bearing the V77I substitution in protease. Similarly, the four A(SP1) genomes group in a monophyletic cluster. These results therefore show that the monophyly of V77I(PR) and A(SP1) A(FSU) clusters is supported in near complete genomes.

We report the near full-length genome characterization of an HIV-1 subtype F virus (D88_845) collected in St. Petersburg, Russia, from a 25-year-old Russian woman perinatally infected in 1982. In a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis, the genome sequence branched basally to the subsubtype F1 clade. In partial sequences, D88_845 clustered with 13 other subtype F sequences from Russia, corresponding to gag (n = 2), pol (n = 3), and env (n = 8) segments. At least 11 of these sequences are from samples collected in St. Petersburg from heterosexually infected Russian individuals. In each of these segments, the Russian viruses formed a monophyletic cluster that branched as a sister clade of the F1 subsubtype. One sequence from Belgium branched with D88_845 with a posterior probability of 0.99. This is the first report on the identification and near full-length genome characterization of the subtype F variant circulating in St. Petersburg, which is closely related to, but distinct from, the F1 subsubtype.

Objectives: To examine HIV-1 genetic diversity in St. Petersburg., Methods: Partial HIV-1 pol sequences from 102 plasma samples collected in 2006 were analyzed with a Bayesian phylogeny inference method., Results: Subtype A, former Soviet Union (FSU) variant (AFSU), was the predominant clade (89.3%); other clades were subtypes B (9.7%) and F1 (1%). AFSU was predominant both among injecting drug users (98.2%) and heterosexually infected individuals (91.4%), whereas subtype B was more prevalent among homosexual men (75%). Within the AFSU variant, most sequences (93.5%) branched within 1 of 4 strongly supported subclusters. The largest comprised 63% AFSU viruses and was uncommon outside St Petersburg. A second subcluster (17.4% AFSU viruses) corresponds to the variant with the V77I substitution in protease, which is widely circulating in different FSU countries. Two minor subclusters comprised 8.7% and 6.5% AFSU viruses, respectively. There was no correlation between risk exposure and AFSU subclusters. Six of 8 subtype B sequences, 4 of them from homosexual men, grouped in a monophyletic subcluster., Conclusions: The results of this study show a great predominance of AFSU viruses in St Petersburg and point to a few phylogenetically identifiable introductions as the origin of most current HIV-1 AFSU infections in the city.

The HIV-1 subtype A epidemic affecting injecting drug users (IDU) in former Soviet Union (FSU) countries started dramatically in Odessa, southern Ukraine, in 1995, and is caused by a variant of monophyletic origin, often designated IDU-A. We phylogenetically analyzed one near full-length genome and two partial sequences of three HIV-1 subtype A viruses collected in St. Petersburg, Russia, heterosexually transmitted in 1992-1994. The sequences branched basally to the IDU-A clade, together with eight viruses from Odessa collected in 1993, all presumably acquired heterosexually, and two viruses from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Of all other FSU sequences in databases, only those from three recently collected viruses, one from Ukraine and two from northwestern Russia, at least one of them acquired heterosexually, branched basally to the IDU-A cluster. The results indicate that the FSU IDU-A variant derives from a strain that initially propagated heterosexually in Ukraine and originated in central Africa.

The effectiveness of rapid HIV-1 testing and nevirapine prophylaxis for HIV-infected mothers without prenatal care has been shown. We found that from 1998 to 2002, HIV-1 seroprevalence in women giving birth in St Petersburg, Russia increased 100-fold: from 0.013% to 1.3% (p<0.0001). HIV-1 seroprevalence was 8% (114 of 1466) in women without prenatal care and 1% (376 of 37645) in those with prenatal care (p<0.0001). All 376 HIV-1-infected women with, and 41% (47 of 114) of HIV-1-infected women without prenatal care received intrapartum antiretroviral therapy (p<0.0001). In women who were HIV-1 positive, 26% (30 of 114) of those without prenatal care and 4% (13 of 371) of those with prenatal care relinquished their infants to the custody of the state, compared with 1% (354 of 37 621) of HIV-1-negative women (p<0.0001).