CERTAIN HLA-DR5 AND HLA-DR6 MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX CLASS-II ALLELES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A CD8 LYMPHOCYTIC HOST RESPONSE TO HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 CHARACTERIZED BY LOW LYMPHOCYTE VIRAL STRAIN HETEROGENEITY AND SLOW DISEASE PROGRESSION

Either of two structurally related major histocompatibility complex class II alleles, DRB1*1102, which encodes a DR5 specificity, or DRB1*1301, which encodes a DR6 specificity, was found in 67% of individuals responding to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection with a syndrome characterized by persistent circulating and diffusely infiltrative CD8 lymphocytosis (DILS), slow progression to opportunistic infections, and delayed CD4 T-cell depletion. These alleles were present in only 28% of ethnically matched HIV-positive controls (P = 0.001). The frequency of DRB1*1301 was increased in both Blacks and Caucasians with this syndrome, while that of DRBI*1102 was increased only in Blacks, where 80% had either of these alleles. To investigate whether the host response associated with these alleles influences the evolutionary divergence of the HIV-1 genome, sequencing of the envelope V3 loop was performed. This revealed a significantly diminished lymphocyte viral heterogeneity com pared with random HIV+ controls matched for CD4 T-cell levels. These results suggest that the immunogenetics of the host influence the nature of the immune response to HIV-1, which may lead to constrained evolution of HIV-1 gene products. Of possible relevance, the alpha-helical third diversity region common to both the DRB1*1102 and DRB1*1301 allelic products was noted to have homology with the C-terminal region of the HIV-1 envelope V3 loop at six of nine consecutive residues. This suggests the possibility that these alleles may bias the anti-HIV T-cell receptor repertoire through a mimicry mechanism.