HLA class I alleles associated with susceptibility or resistance to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection among a population in Chaco Province, Argentina.
Host genetic factors, such as HLA alleles, are important in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and its progression to AIDS. HLA class I gene products are involved in peptide presentation, and each allele is responsible for presenting a different set of peptides to cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The increase or decrease in the frequency of certain alleles in HIV-1-positive versus control subjects would suggest that alleles play a role in susceptibility to or protection against this viral infection. In the present study, 56 HIV-1-positive patients in Chaco Province, Argentina, were typed for the HLA-A and HLA-B loci, using polymerase chain reaction and sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes. The frequency of alleles A*24, B*18, and B*39 was increased in HIV-1-positive subjects, suggesting that these alleles play a role in susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. Alleles B*44 and B*55 were not found in HIV-1-positive subjects, suggesting that they have a protective effect against the disease. The P values of the alleles B*39 and B*44 were statistically significant (P<.05).
de Sorrentino
A H
AH
Dept. of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, J. C. Perrando Hospital, 3500 Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina. sorro@arnet.com.ar
Marinic
K
K
Motta
P
P
Sorrentino
A
A
López
R
R
Illiovich
E
E
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D001118:Argentina; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans