Lee Shui Shan, Tam Dennise K P, Tan Yi, Mak Wai Lai, Wong Ka Hing, Chen Jonathan H K, Yam Wing Cheong
Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
AIDS. 2009 Aug 24;23(13):1755-64. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0b013e32832dc025.
To explore the clustering of HIV infected men having sex with men (MSM) using social network approach in conjunction with the phylogenetic relationship of the virus strains.
An exploratory study incorporating social network and phylogenetic analysis.
Recently diagnosed HIV-infected MSM attending one major HIV specialist clinic in Hong Kong were recruited in the study involving the administration of a self-administered questionnaire on behaviours and partnership patterns using a Likert Scale, the results of which were assessed using social network analysis and in context of the phylogenetic analysis from sequencing the HIV-1 pol gene, as part of the clinical investigation for genotypic resistance. Clusters were defined using social and molecular methods.
An 'Internet-centred' cluster and 'Sauna-centred' cluster could be delineated using correspondence analysis and network diagrams. The main distinguishing features of MSM in the 'Internet-centred' social cluster were: younger age, higher education level, and multiple partner types. Three genetic clusters could be identified in the phylogenetic tree, two of which associated with Internet use and one with sauna for sex partnership. There were partial overlaps between social and genetic clusters. Characteristically, the virus strains in sauna users were more disperse compared with the closely knit configuration of those using Internet.
The principle of the duality of place and person can be strategically applied in epidemiologic investigation. The characterization of MSM cluster using anonymized network data provides a potentially powerful tool for informing public health intervention.
结合病毒株的系统发育关系，采用社会网络方法探索男男性行为者（MSM）中的HIV感染者聚集情况。
一项纳入社会网络和系统发育分析的探索性研究。
招募近期在香港一家主要的HIV专科诊所确诊感染HIV的MSM参与研究，研究内容包括使用李克特量表进行关于行为和伙伴关系模式的自填式问卷调查，其结果采用社会网络分析进行评估，并结合对HIV-1 pol基因测序的系统发育分析结果，作为基因型耐药性临床调查的一部分。使用社会和分子方法定义聚类。
使用对应分析和网络图可以勾勒出一个“以互联网为中心”和“以桑拿浴室为中心”的聚类。“以互联网为中心”社会聚类中的MSM的主要区别特征为：年龄较小、教育水平较高以及伙伴类型多样。在系统发育树中可识别出三个基因聚类，其中两个与互联网使用相关，一个与性伙伴关系中的桑拿浴室相关。社会聚类和基因聚类之间存在部分重叠。特征性地，与使用互联网的MSM紧密的聚类结构相比，桑拿浴室使用者中的病毒株更为分散。
地点和人的二元性原则可在流行病学调查中进行策略性应用。使用匿名网络数据对MSM聚类进行特征描述为公共卫生干预提供了一个潜在有力的工具。
