title: CCR2-64I and CXCL12 3'A alleles confer a favorable prognosis to AIDS patients undergoing HAART therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The chemokine receptor polymorphisms CCR5Delta32, CXCL12 3'A, CCR2-64I and CCR5-59029 G/A have been demonstrated to affect HIV-1 infection and progression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We studied the impact of the above polymorphisms on the effectiveness of a 30-month treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 149 HIV-1 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We stratified the patients according to CD4 CDC criteria and applied Kaplan-Meier analysis using the following end-point criteria: (a) the time from HAART initiation to undetectable viral load (VL) counts (VL<50 copies/ml), (b) the duration of undetectable VL status and (c) the time required for CD4+ T-cell counts to pass over the 500 cells/ml threshold.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results in the second group (CD4 201-500) revealed that patients with the CCR2-64I allele achieved undetectable VL counts at 3.5+/-0.48 months as compared to 10.26+/-1.42 months in the control group (p=0.018). The VL remained undetectable for 28+/-2 months, in contrast to 20+/-2 months in the control group (p=0.048). Patients carrying CXCL12 3'A restored the CD4 population faster than the control group (9+/-2 and 14+/-2 months, respectively, p=0.023). The CCR5Delta32 and CCR5-59029 G/A alleles did not appear to affect the parameters studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that patients carrying either CCR2-64I or CXCL12 3'A have a more favorable prognosis during HAART treatment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, P.O. Box 1393, Heraklion 71100, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Passam
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zafiropoulos
authors.forename: Spiros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyakis
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zagoreos
authors.forename: Nikolaos G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Stavrianeas
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krambovitis
authors.forename: Demetrios A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Spandidos
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000235:genetics*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D054390:Receptors, CCR2; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; C515334:CCR2 protein, human; C515255:CXCL12 protein, human; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D054390:Receptors, CCR2; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine