HLA-ASSOCIATED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ACQUIRED-IMMUNE-DEFICIENCY-SYNDROME IN HIV-1-SEROPOSITIVE SUBJECTS

No difference in HLA-A, B or DR gene frequencies could be observed between 172 control subjects and 180 HIV-l-seropositive subjects of European ancestry diagnosed through the systematic screening of blood donations. In contrast, progression to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS; 21 patients) or CD4 lymphocyte loss equal or more than 20 % over a 6-month period (37 subjects) was found to be associated with the B8DR3 haplotype (relative risk = 10.64, p <0.003, and 2.23, p <0.092, respectively). Other independently significant associations assessed through the multivariate Cox proportional-hazards model were B16, BW21 and B35 alleles as factors of bad prognosis. Conversely, A11 and DR4 alleles were factors favouring longer survival. © 1990 S. Karger AG, Basel.