title: Association of high HIV-1 RNA levels and homozygosity at HLA class II DRB1 in adults coinfected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Harare, Zimbabwe.
abstract: HIV-1 mRNA levels (virus load) were quantified for 191 pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients and 132 HIV-1 seropositive controls. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and II genes were typed for 188 patients and 121 HIV-1 seropositive controls. The mean log virus load was higher among cases than HIV-1 seropositive controls (p < 0.0001). Among the controls, mean log virus load was higher among males than females (p = 0.04). There was no association between virus load and homozygosity at HLA class I and II among the controls. In contrast, among the cases, HLA-DRB1 homozygosity was associated with high virus load (p = 0.008), conferring risk for rapid progression to AIDS, thus lending support to the heterozygote advantage hypothesis. The observed decreased virus load in HLA-DRB-1 heterozygotes may be due to a better control of M. tb. infection in the context of HIV-1 disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Harare, Zimbabwe. lzijenah@healthnet.zw
authors.forename: Lynn S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Zijenah
authors.forename: Wendy E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Hartogensis
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Katzenstein
authors.forename: Ocean
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tobaiwa
authors.forename: Junior
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mutswangwa
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: Leslie G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Louie
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005260:Female; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load; D015030:Zimbabwe
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D012367:RNA, Viral