Analysis of Social and Genetic Factors Influencing Heterosexual Transmission of HIV within Serodiscordant Couples in the Henan Cohort

PLoS One. 2015 Jun 11;10(6):e0129979. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129979. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

There is considerable variability between individuals in susceptibility to infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Many social, clinical and genetic factors are known to contribute to the likelihood of HIV transmission, but there is little consensus on the relative importance and potential interaction of these factors. Additionally, recent studies of several variants in chemokine receptors have identified alleles that may be predictive of HIV transmission and disease progression; however the strengths and directions of the associations of these genetic markers with HIV transmission have markedly varied between studies. To better identify factors that predict HIV transmission in a Chinese population, 180 cohabiting serodiscordant couples were enrolled for study by the Henan Center for Disease Prevention and Control, and transmission and progression of HIV infection were regularly measured. We found that anti-retroviral therapy, education level, and condom use were the most significant factors in determining likelihood of HIV transmission in this study. We also assessed ten variants in three genes (CXCL12, CCR2, and CCR5) that have been shown to influence HIV transmission. We found two tightly linked variants in CCR2 and CCR5, rs1799864 and rs1800024, have a significant positive association with transmission as recessive models (OR>10, P value=0.011). Mixed effects models showed that these genetic variants both retained significance when assessed with either treatment or condom use. These markers of transmission susceptibility may therefore serve to help stratify individuals by risk for HIV transmission.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biomarkers / analysis*
  • China
  • Cohort Studies
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Genotype
  • HIV Infections / genetics*
  • HIV Infections / transmission
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • HIV Seropositivity / genetics*
  • HIV-1 / pathogenicity*
  • Heterosexuality*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymorphism, Genetic / genetics*
  • Prognosis
  • Social Behavior*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Biomarkers

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from the China Mega-Project for Infectious Diseases (2009ZX10017-016, 2011ZX10004-001 and 2012ZX10004-215). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.