Biology Faculty Articles

Title

HLA and HIV-1: Heterozygote Advantage and B*35-Cw*04 Disadvantage

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-12-1999

Publication Title

Science

ISSN

0036-8075

Volume

283

Issue/No.

5408

First Page

1748

Last Page

1752

Abstract

A selective advantage against infectious disease associated with increased heterozygosity at the human major histocompatibility complex [human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and class II] is believed to play a major role in maintaining the extraordinary allelic diversity of these genes. Maximum HLA heterozygosity of class I loci (A, B, and C) delayed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) onset among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1), whereas individuals who were homozygous for one or more loci progressed rapidly to AIDS and death. The HLA class I alleles B*35 and Cw*04 were consistently associated with rapid development of AIDS-defining conditions in Caucasians. The extended survival of 28 to 40 percent of HIV-1-infected Caucasian patients who avoided AIDS for ten or more years can be attributed to their being fully heterozygous at HLA class I loci, to their lacking the AIDS-associated alleles B*35 and Cw*04, or to both.

Additional Comments

©1999 American Association for the Advancement of Science

ORCID ID

0000-0001-7353-8301

ResearcherID

N-1726-2015

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Peer Reviewed

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