IL1A alleles associate with a virological response to antiretroviral therapy in HIV patients beginning therapy with advanced disease

Association of cytokine gene polymorphisms with peripheral neuropathy susceptibility in people living with HIV in Greece

Relatively little research has been done in recent years to understand what leads to the unceasingly high rates of HIV sensory neuropathy despite successful antiretroviral treatment. In vivo and in vitro studies demonstrate neuronal damage induced by HIV and increasingly identified ART neurotoxicity involving mitochondrial dysfunction and innate immune system activation in peripheral nerves, ultimately all pathways resulting in enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. Furthermore, many infectious/autoimmune/malignant diseases are influenced by the production-profile of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, due to inter-individual allelic polymorphism within cytokine gene regulatory regions. Associations of cytokine gene polymorphisms are investigated with the aim of identifying potential genetic markers for susceptibility to HIV peripheral neuropathy including ART-dependent toxic neuropathy. One hundred seventy-one people living with HIV in Northern Greece, divided into two sub-groups according to the presence/absence of peripheral neuropathy, were studied over a 5-year period. Diagnosis was based on the Brief Peripheral Neuropathy Screening. Cytokine genotyping was performed by sequence-specific primer-polymerase chain reaction. Present study findings identify age as an important risk factor (p < 0.01) and support the idea that cytokine gene polymorphisms are at least involved in HIV peripheral-neuropathy pathogenesis. Specifically, carriers of IL1a-889/rs1800587 TT genotype and IL4-1098/rs2243250 GG genotype disclosed greater relative risk for developing HIV peripheral neuropathy (OR: 2.9 and 7.7 respectively), while conversely, carriers of IL2+166/rs2069763 TT genotype yielded lower probability (OR: 3.1), all however, with marginal statistical significance. The latter, if confirmed in a larger Greek population cohort, may offer in the future novel genetic markers to identify susceptibility, while it remains significant that further ethnicity-oriented studies continue to be conducted in a similar pursuit.

Polymorphisms in IL-1 gene cluster and its association with the risk of perinatal HIV transmission, in an Indian cohort

Host genetic diversity plays a very important role in protecting infants exposed to HIV-1 through their mothers. IL-1 family genes are key mediators of inflammatory responses and no studies are available on its association with perinatal HIV transmission. We aimed to evaluate if single nucleotide polymorphisms in IL-1 family genes are associated with perinatal HIV transmission. Infants of HIV positive women were genotyped for five polymorphic loci in IL1 gene cluster namely; IL1R1 (rs2234650), IL1A (rs1800587), IL1B (rs16944), IL1B (rs1143634), and IL1RN (rs315952) using polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) method. Haplotype block structure was determined using Haploview and statistical analysis was done using PyPop. In this cohort based observational study significantly increased frequency of CT genotype in IL1R1 (rs2234650) was observed in positive vs. negative children (76.4% vs. 42.2%, p = 0.023), while CC genotype was significantly (p = 0.022) high in exposed uninfected children compared to infected ones (51.1% vs. 17.6%). These significances, however, did not stand the Bonferroni corrections. Haplotypic analysis demonstrated that the TCCCT haplotype was significantly associated (p = 0.002) with HIV transmission and remained significant even after Bonferroni correction. The children who had the protective CC genotype at IL1R1 (rs2234650) and were still positive had the TTC haplotype for IL1A (rs1800587):IL1B (rs1143634):IL1R1 (rs2234650). In contrast, 16 out of 19 (84.2%) children who had the CT genotype and were still negative had the protective CTC haplotype for IL1A (rs1800587):IL1B (rs16944):IL1B (rs1143634). IL1R1 (rs2234650) polymorphisms CT/CC along the specific haplotypes of the IL-1 gene family can be exploited as possible markers for prediction of perinatal HIV transmission.

Can immune-related genotypes illuminate the immunopathogenesis of cytomegalovirus disease in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients?

Most human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients are seropositive for cytomegalovirus (CMV) but a smaller proportion experience end-organ disease. This observation may reflect variations in genes affecting inflammatory and natural killer cell responses. DNA samples were collected from 240 HIV-infected patients followed at the University Hospitals/Case Medical Center (Cleveland, OH) between 1993 and 2008. Seventy-eight patients (African Americans = 41, Caucasians = 37) experienced CMV disease. Genotypes were determined using allele-specific fluorescent probes or multiplex polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primers. IL12B3'UTR*(1) and SLC11A1 D543N*(1,2) were associated with CMV disease in African American patients (p = 0.04 and p = 0.02, respectively). IL10-1082*(1,2) and LILRB1 I142T*(1) were associated with CMV disease in Caucasians (p = 0.02 and p = 0.07, respectively). DARC T-46C*(1) and CD14 C-159T*(2) were associated with low nadir CD4(+) T cell counts in African American patients (p = 0.002 and p = 0.01, respectively). Caucasian patients carrying TNFA-308*2, TNFA-1031*(2), IL2-330*(1), CCL2-2518*(2), or LILRB1 I142T*(1) had significantly lower nadir CD4(+) T cells in a bootstrapped multivariable model (p = 0.006-0.02). In general, polymorphisms associated with CMV disease and CD4(+) T cell counts were distinct in Caucasian and African American patients in the United States. The LILRB1 I142T polymorphism was associated with both CMV disease and low nadir CD4(+) T cell counts in Caucasians, but the clearest determinant of low nadir CD4(+) T cell count in African American patients was DARC T-46C.