Influence of intragenic CCL3 haplotypes and CCL3L copy number in HIV-1 infection in a sub-Saharan African population

Genes Immun. 2013 Jan;14(1):42-51. doi: 10.1038/gene.2012.51. Epub 2012 Nov 15.

Abstract

Two CCL3 haplotypes (HapA1 and Hap-A3) and two polymorphic positions shared by the haplotypes (Hap-2SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism)) were investigated together with CCL3L copy number (CN), for their role in HIV-1 disease. Hap-A1 was associated with protection from in utero HIV-1 infection: exposed uninfected (EU) infants had higher representation of wild type (WT)/Hap-A1 than infected infants (excluding intrapartum (IP)-infected infants), which maintained significance post maternal Nevirapine (mNVP) and viral load (MVL) correction (P=0.04; odds ratio (OR)=0.33). Mother-infant pair analyses showed the protective effect of Hap-A1 is dependent on its presence in the infant. Hap-A3 was associated with increased IP transmission: WT/Hap-A3 was increased in IP-transmitting vs non-transmitting (NT) mothers, and remained significant post mNVP and MVL correction (P=0.02; OR=3.50). This deleterious effect of Hap-A3 seemed dependent on its presence in the mother. Hap-2SNP was associated with lower CD4 count in the NT mothers (P=0.03). CCL3 Hap-A1 was associated with high CCL3L CN in total (P=0.001) and EU infants (P=0.006); the effect was not additive, however, having either Hap-A1 or high CCL3L CN was more significantly (P=0.0008) associated with protection from in utero infection than Hap-A1 (P=0.028) or high CCL3L CN (P=0.002) alone. Linkage disequilibrium between Hap-A1 and high CCL3L CN appears unlikely given that a Nigerian population showed an opposite relationship.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Africa South of the Sahara / epidemiology
  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use
  • CD4 Antigens / blood
  • Chemokine CCL3 / genetics*
  • Female
  • Gene Dosage*
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / genetics*
  • HIV Infections / transmission*
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • HIV-1*
  • Haplotypes*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical
  • Linkage Disequilibrium
  • Nevirapine / therapeutic use
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Viral Load

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • CCL3 protein, human
  • CD4 Antigens
  • Chemokine CCL3
  • Nevirapine