title: Frequency of human endogenous retroviral sequences (HERV) K113 and K115 in the Polish population, and their effect on HIV infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The human genome contains about 8% of endogenous retroviral sequences originated from germ cell infections by exogenous retroviruses during evolution. Most of those sequences are inactive because of accumulation of mutations but some of them are still capable to be transcribed and translated. The latter are insertionally polymorphic HERV-K113 and HERV-K115. It has been suggested that their presence and expression was connected with several human diseases. It is also believed that they could interfere with the replication cycle of exogenous retroviruses, including HIV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of endogenous retroviral sequences HERV-K113 and HERV-K115 was determined in the Polish population. The frequencies were found as 11.8% for HERV-K113 and 7.92% for HERV-K115. To verify the hypothesis that the presence of these HERVs sequences could affect susceptibility to HIV infection, comparison of a control group (HIV-negative, not exposed to HIV; n = 303) with HIV-positive patients (n = 470) and exposed but uninfected (EU) individuals (n = 121) was performed. Prevalence of HERV-K113 and HERV-K115 in the EU group was 8.26% and 5.71%, respectively. In the HIV(+) group we detected HERV-K113 sequences in 12.98% of the individuals and HERV-K115 sequences in 7.23% of the individuals. There were no statistically significant differences between groups studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of HERV-K113 and HERV-K115 sequences in Poland were found to be higher than usually shown for European populations. No relation between presence of the HERVs and HIV infection was detected.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zwolińska
authors.forename: Brygida
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Knysz
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gąsiorowski
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pazgan-Simon
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gładysz
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sobczyński
authors.forename: Egbert
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piasecki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral