title: Frequency of CCR5 Gene 32-bp deletion in Pakistani ethnic groups.
abstract: CCR5 is a G-protein-coupled chemokine receptor that is used as a co-factor by macrophage-tropic (M-tropic) isolates of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) to gain entry into host cells. A 32-bp deletion in the CCR5 gene (CCR5-Delta32) leads to the production of an altered gene product that prevents HIV-1 from entering the host cell. This study was carried out to determine prevalence of CCR5-Delta32 allele frequency in a large Pakistani population sample (n = 821) representing 10 ethnic groups. No individual was homozygous for the mutant allele and the frequency of the CCR5-Delta32 allele ranged from 0.62% to 3.57%. The CCR5-Delta32 allele frequency was generally lower in populations from southern Pakistan. The overall frequency of the CCR5-Delta32 allele in Pakistan was 2.31%, which is much lower than that found in European populations and similar to that in the Middle East. This is consistent with the historical records and genetic data that indicate a close genetic affinity among these populations. This study demonstrates that the Pakistani population is highly susceptible to M-tropic isolates of HIV-1 and public health measures need to be enforced with urgency if Pakistan is to avoid an HIV epidemic.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical and Genetic Engineering Division, Dr. A.Q. Khan Research Laboratories, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khaliq
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hameed
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ayub
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mazhar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohyuddin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mansoor
authors.forename: S Qasim
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Mehdi
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics*; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008877:Middle East / Q000208:ethnology; D010154:Pakistan; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000235:genetics*; D017384:Sequence Deletion
chemical_list: D019713:Receptors, CCR5