Distribution of CCR5-Δ32 and HLA-B*57:01 alleles in HIV-seropositive and HIV-exposed seronegative Peruvian individuals

Little information is available about CCR5-Δ32 and HLA-B*57:01 alleles in the Peruvian population, especially in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative people with high-risk sexual behavior. Here we describe the prevalence of these alleles in HIV-exposed seronegative individuals (PS) and HIV-seropositive individuals (PVV). For this purpose, 300 individuals were recruited: 150 from each group, and the selected alleles were characterized by endpoint PCR, real-time PCR and DNA sequencing. According to our results, the prevalence of CCR5/CCR5-Δ32 heterozygous was 2.7%, and no homozygous cases were found. The population was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the CCR5 locus. Regarding HLA-B*57:01, one case was identified in the PS group, while no cases were observed in the PVV group. No statistical difference was detected between groups (P > 0.05). In conclusion, we showed a low prevalence for CCR5-Δ32 as HLA-B*57:01 in the Peruvian population. As these alleles were found at similar frequencies among both HIV-positive and HIV-negative Peruvian individuals with high-risk sexual behavior, it is possible that other genetic factors play an important role in preventing HIV transmission in this population. The low frequency of the HLA-B*57:01 allele in the Peruvian population suggests that routine genotyping tests for abacavir hypersensitivity should be reevaluated in the public health policies of Peru's Ministry of Health, based on national epidemiological data.