PROGRESSION OF HIV-RELATED DISEASE IS ASSOCIATED WITH HLA DQ AND DR ALLELES DEFINED BY RESTRICTION-FRAGMENT-LENGTH-POLYMORPHISMS

A cohort of 139 hemophiliacs was typed for HLA D region genes by means of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) detected by HLA DQ and DR gene probes. Disease progression was studied in the 65 HIV antibody-positive patients, who were infected by contaminated clotting factor before 1985. Strong associations were found between disease progression in HIV-infected patients and allelic DNA fragments revealed by a DQ-alpha cDNA probe. A 5.5 kb fragment was reduced in frequency and a 4.6 kb fragment increased in frequency (p < 0.005) in the faster progressing group, as measured both by development of CDC Category IV clinical symptoms and CD4 number < 200 x 10(6)/l. These results correlate with DR types deduced from the RFLP patterns revealed by DR-beta and DQ-alpha gene probes. A decrease in DR4 and an increase in both DR5 and the DR3 subtype found in the A1 B8 DR3 haplotype were associated with disease progression (p < 0.05).