HLA-C Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Associated with Increased Viral Load Level in HIV-1 Infected Individuals from Northeast Brazil

Curr HIV Res. 2017;15(4):266-272. doi: 10.2174/1570162X15666170511141741.

Abstract

Background: Genetic variations in Human leukocyte antigen C (HLA-C), Zinc ribbon domain containing 1 (ZNRD1) and its antisense RNA (ZNRD1-AS1) genes are known to influence the HIV-1 replication and disease progression.

Objective and method: We evaluated the distribution of HLA-C (rs10484554, rs9264942) and ZNRD1 (rs8321) and ZNRD1-AS1 (rs3869068), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 266 HIV-1-infected and 223 unexposed-uninfected individuals from Northeast Brazil and their relation to HIV-1 infection, CD4 T cells count and viral load pre-treatment.

Results: HLA-C SNPs were in Linkage Disequilibrium (D'=0.84), constituting four possible haplotypes. Our results showed that HLA-C, ZNRD1 and ZNRD1-AS1 SNPs as well as HLA-C haplotypes frequencies were not significantly different between HIV-1-infected and unexposed-uninfected individuals. In addition, we analyzed HLA-C and ZNRD-1 and ZNRD1-AS1 SNPs considering CD4+ T cell counts and viral load before the antiretroviral treatment. Individuals carrying HLA-C rs9264942 TT genotype showed a significant increased level of HIV-1 viral load pre-treatment, in comparison with individuals carrying the CC genotype (p-value = 0.0092). Finally, we stratified our findings according to CCR5Δ32 allele presence along with the studied SNPs: no statistically significant influence over viral load pre-treatment has been found.

Conclusion: The association between HLA-C rs9264942 SNP and viral load prior treatment in an admixed population from North East Brazil was in agreement with findings from previous studies obtained on different ethnic groups; however more studies should be conducted in order to clarify how HLA-C impair the HIV-1 replication.

Keywords: HIV-1 infection; HLA-C; SNPs; ZNRD1; ZNRD1-AS1; viral load.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Brazil
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / genetics*
  • HIV Infections / virology*
  • HIV-1 / isolation & purification
  • HLA-C Antigens / genetics*
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Viral Load*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • HLA-C Antigens
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
  • POLR1H protein, human
  • ZNRD1AS gene product, human