The CCR5Δ32 allele slows disease progression of human immunodeficiency virus-1-infected children receiving antiretroviral treatment

The role of the CCR5 Delta 32 allele in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-related disease progression was analyzed for 457 antiretroviral-naive children who had participated in the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group 152 study, which demonstrated that didanosine (ddI) or zidovudine + ddI treatments were superior to zidovudine alone. The CCR5 Delta 32 allele was detected at an overall frequency of 6.1% (28/457). At study entry, heterozygote children (wild type [wt]/Delta 32) had higher baseline median CD4(+) counts/mm(3) than wt/wt children had (1035 vs. 835 cells/mm(3); P = .043), higher mean weight-for-age Z scores (-0.15 vs. -0.84; P = .01), and a trend toward less cortical atrophy (P = .059). During antiretroviral treatment and study follow-up, there was a trend toward less disease progression and death among heterozygote children than among,wt/wt children (P = .056; relative hazard, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.07-1.13) independent of the antiretroviral treatment to which they were randomized.