title: HIV in Africa (Communication arising): chemokine-receptor genes and AIDS risk.
abstract: Schliekelman et al. have provided a model to quantify the speed at which HIV-resistance haplotypes can become enriched in a susceptible population through a delay in the onset of AIDS, permitting greater lifetime reproduction and the selection of AIDS-delaying haplotypes. But we question their conclusion that there could be a rapid evolution of resistance to AIDS onset in some African populations if the current HIV epidemic persists, as this depends on an untested assumption: that variant forms of the chemokine-receptor-5 (CCR5) gene impart selective advantages or disadvantages in Africa that are comparable to those reported for African Americans. Here we test this premise in a large Ugandan population, and find that CCR5 variants are not associated with HIV/AIDS disease risk in Africa--the origin and centre of the current AIDS pandemic. This gene may therefore not be subject to rapid evolutionary change as a result of the HIV epidemic in Africa.
authors: Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK.
authors: Patricia A
authors: PA
authors: Ramaley
authors: Neil
authors: N
authors: French
authors: Pontiano
authors: P
authors: Kaleebu
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: Gilks
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Whitworth
authors: Adrian V S
authors: AV
authors: Hill
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D000483:Alleles; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium / Q000235:genetics; D008957:Models, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D054390:Receptors, CCR2; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000235:genetics*; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000235:genetics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: C515334:CCR2 protein, human; D054390:Receptors, CCR2; D019713:Receptors, CCR5; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine