Human Leukocyte Antigens and HIV Type 1 Viral Load in Early and Chronic Infection: Predominance of Evolving Relationships

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009629
• Publication Date: 2010-03-09T23:04:36Z
• Authors: Jianming Tang; Rakhi Malhotra; Wei Song; Ilene Brill; Liangyuan Hu; Paul K. Farmer; Joseph Mulenga; Susan Allen; Eric Hunter; Richard A. Kaslow
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Science; Zambia; 03 medical and health sciences; Seroepidemiologic Studies; HIV Seropositivity; Humans; Alleles; 0303 health sciences; Models, Genetic; Q; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; R; Age Factors; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; Genetic Variation; Middle Aged; Viral Load; 3. Good health; Chronic Disease; Mutation; HIV-1; Medicine; Regression Analysis; Female; Research Article

During untreated, chronic HIV-1 infection, plasma viral load (VL) is a relatively stable quantitative trait that has clinical and epidemiological implications. Immunogenetic research established various human genetic factors, especially leukocyte antigen (HLA) variants, as independent determinants of VL set-point.To identify clarify HLA alleles are associated with either transient or durable immune control we evaluated the relationships class I II among 563 seroprevalent Zambians (SPs) who were seropositive at enrollment 221 seroconverters (SCs) became during quarterly follow-up visits. After statistical adjustments for non-genetic factors (sex age), two unfavorable (A*3601 DRB1*0102) independently high in SPs (p<0.01) but not SCs. In contrast, favorable mainly A*74, B*13, B*57 (or Cw*18), one HLA-A HLA-C combination (A*30+Cw*03), dominated SCs; their associations low reflected regression beta estimates ranged from -0.47+/-0.23 to -0.92+/-0.32 log(10) SCs (p<0.05). Except Cw*18, all variants had diminishing vanishing association (p<or=0.86).Overall, each three genes least allele might contribute effective control, early course infection. These observations can provide useful framework ongoing analyses mutations induced by protective responses.